Crossroads
by NinjaGal183
Summary: If she passed the Hunter Exam it meant a fresh start. That's all the motivation she needed. However, the last thing she wanted to see was Gon at the starting line with her. It's not easy keeping an eye on her little brother. Little did she know that she was being watched too, by a certain jester who deemed her a toy worthy of breaking.
1. The Letter

**Few quick warnings before reading. First of all, I'm adding ten years to Mito and Ging's age because my OC is actually a young adult. Second, I intend to follow the Hunter x Hunter storyline, not sure for how long but I will eventually switch things up and give my OC her own storyline/arc/whatever you want to call it. Third, this fic will contain sexual content and will also get DARK down the line and may contain torture, abuse, strong language, etc. so expect the rating to change.**

 **That's all I have to say for now. Read, review and enjoy!**

Mito absentmindedly scrubbed the dishes, not realizing she's been cleaning the same spot for the past five minutes. It had been a day since Gon left for the Hunter Exam. And yet Mito couldn't shake the small, intricate part of her that wished he wouldn't make it to the exam and would come home. She respected Gon's wish to find his father, of course, but if there was safer way to find Ging, she wished Gon would've taken that route.

"Mito? Mito! Haruka sent another letter"

Mito stopped rinsing for a brief moment. Another letter?

"I'll leave it in Gon's room until he comes back" she called.

Abe walked into the kitchen and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's written to you" she said, holding the letter out to her.

The wet dish she was holding nearly slipped from her hand. For her? Haruka never wrote to her. She'd always write to Gon without even asking about Mito (not that she ever expected her to) or if she ever came to visit Whale Tail Island, she'd never come to the house. Haruka would always stay at an inn until the day she left. Letters and visits from her were rare, but would always put an enormous smile on Gon's face.

Mito dried off her hands and took the letter from Abe, sighing deeply. When she unfolded the letter, a smaller piece of paper fluttered onto the ground. Abe picked it up and looked at it, her eyes widened.

"It's a check. And it seems she's doing well"

Mito frowned suspiciously and started to read the letter.

 _Aunt Mito,_

 _I don't know if this letter will reach you or if you'll even bother reading it. But I'm writing in the small chance you do. I know this letter might come as a surprise since I haven't written or seen you in years. I'm sure you probably didn't expect me to either. Regardless, I'm writing to tell you I'm taking the Hunter Exam this year. By the time you get this letter, I might already be in the middle of it or there's the off chance I might be dead. Either way, I'm already in the exam. You might be wondering why I'm telling you this. It's a precaution, in case the latter happens and Gon starts to wonder why I stopped writing or visiting. I don't want him to know. The last thing I want to do is inspire Gon to take the exam also. I'm sure you'd probably agree with me. If I live and fail in the middle I'll write to tell him myself. If not, I'll sent a letter within 30 days after I fin_ _ish the exam. No more, no less. If it doesn't come, well, we can safely assume the worst happened, right?_

 _Ruka_

The letter crinkled in Mito's shaking hand as she read it over and over again. She wasn't sad or angry, just in disbelief.

"'Off chance I might be dead'?" Abe quoted. "The girl's gotten cocky, hasn't she?"

"So she's taking the Hunter Exam too" Mito said softly.

"Hm, perhaps she'll meet Gon there" her grandmother chuckled. "Well, that's all fine and good, but why write us a check?" she wondered.

Mito took the check from her grandmother's hand, staring at the big sum written on it. "Maybe to say she's doing just fine without us" Mito suggested almost confidently. She wasn't sure if she should be worried or angry.

* * *

She didn't sleep that night. Mito sat in the dining room with the letter and a cup of untouched coffee sat forgotten on the table. Her grandmother was already asleep in her bedroom. Last time she glanced at the clock it was 12:35 am. She read the letter over and over again until the words didn't even sound like words anymore.

 _Haruka was taking the Hunter Exam…_

 _She might be dead…_

 _She might not be dead…_

 _Don't tell Gon…_

 _Tell Gon if you don't hear from me…_

That's all the letter told her. Nothing else and it frustrated her. There was no mention of where she's been or what she's been doing. No mention of the check or why she sent it. She put the letter down on the table and held her head in her hands, breathing deeply. It's been seven years since she last saw Haruka. She must be twenty now.

 _Haruka was taking the Hunter Exam…_

 _She might be dead…_

 _She might not be dead…_

 _Don't tell Gon…_

 _Tell Gon if you don't hear from me…_

 _"_ _Goodbye, Aunt Mito."_

Mito raised her head and a soft gasp escaped her lips as the old memory flooded her brain. She still remembered that fight so clearly. The shouting, the yelling, the screaming, and of course Mito could never forget the loud rattling sound as Haruka slammed the door behind her. But the girl never truly left. She would write to Gon and if she came to Whale Tail Island she'd tell him where to meet her. But during those times, she'd never come near the house.

Mito swallowed as a wave of guilt washed over her. Was she to blame? If that fight never happened, would Haruka be here? Would she still be entering the Hunter Exam? _Why_ was she entering the Hunter Exam? What was her motive?

All these questions ran through Mito's head and it almost made her feel sick like she was getting the flu. She picked up the letter and read it one more time, but this time she found something different. There was a little P.S scrawled in the bottom corner of the paper. She folded the letter and held it to her chest, a ghost of a smile played on her lips. It was a short little note that made Mito's eyes soften and almost make her want to cry, not out of sadness but hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, their bond could be mended. That Haruka didn't hate her as much as she did seven years ago.

 _P.S. Hope you're well._

 **End of chapter 1.**

 **I know this first chapter is short and frankly vague. Next one will be longer and will introduce my OC. Please review!**


	2. Applicant 333 and 334:Ruka and James

Ruka tapped her foot impatiently, ever so often turning her gaze to the young man next to her. It looked like he was napping; with his hands folded behind his head and feet propped up on the table. She was trying so hard not to hit that idiot over the head.

James was lucky it was only her in the elevator with him. Anyone else would try to make a grab for his weapons and cut him down. Less competition for the Hunter Exam.

She rested her chin in her hand and spun the Lazy Susan in front of her, collecting the cards she'd spread out. After trying to pass the time with a game, they both quickly got bored. She placed the cards inside the little box and stowed it away in her backpack.

"Are we finally stopping?" she asked, feeling the elevator slow down.

James opened one lazy eye and flicked his electric blue hair away from his face, staring at the black screen on the wall which displayed B100. "Guess so" he said, taking his feet off the table and adjusting his bow and arrows behind his back and the sword on his hip.

 _Well, it's about damn time_ she thought.

"Finally at the Earth's core, huh?" he said, stretching his arms above his head.

"Wouldn't be surprised" she chuckled, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. The doors finally slid open to reveal a green, damp, dimly lit tunnel. Pipes and cables ran along the ceiling and tiny red lights were scattered on the wall. It reminded her of a sewer.

James and Ruka glanced at each other with the same skeptical look before stepping out.

"Do you think we're in the right place?" he asked dubiously.

"Must be. This is where the navigator led us" she replied. "Keep your eyes open" she added.

A horde of people were crammed together several feet ahead, some flashing them dirty looks and death glares. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Ruka mentally started sizing them up, wondering who would be best to avoid. It didn't last long as she was approached by a short man.

"Welcome! Please take your badge and attached it to your chest at all times. Don't lose it" he said.

Ruka took her badge number from the short green skinned man and stared at it. Her number was 333.

"Three threes, huh? Some people say that's lucky" James said, looking over her shoulder.

"Well, if this exam lives up to its reputation I might need it" she replied, pinning the badge to her chest. "I'm still surprised _you_ decided to take this exam. You don't really seem the type" she said nonchalantly.

James frowned at her. "You can be really insulting sometimes, you know that?" he said, pinning his 334 badge to his chest. She chuckled as she sat down against one of the giant pipes on the ground. He plopped down next to her, crossing his arms over his chest and smirked. "Wanna make a bet?" he asked.

Ruka raised an eyebrow. "A bet?" she repeated.

"Yeah, let's make this exam a little more interesting" he suggested.

"I'm sorry, flying over an ocean for three hours trying not to die was too boring for you? My arms are still numb from holding onto that navigator" she retorted in disbelief to which he shrugged. Ruka scoffed, shaking her head. He wasn't going to let up. "Fine, what do you want to bet on?" she asked reluctantly.

"Let's see, this test has phases, right? So, how about whoever completes the phase first owes the other one hundred jenny. Sound fair?" he asked.

"That's it? Just one hundred jenny?" she asked.

James shrugged. "Well, it's not like this exam's going to be easy. Let's not put too much stress on ourselves" he said, rummaging through his rucksack.

"Fine. Whatever. But you'll lose" she smirked, crossing her legs in front of her. Ruka scanned through the other applicants, her expression turning slightly worried. "Looks like we have a few kids in the running" she said, nudging her friend.

James followed her gaze to a chubby boy sitting on one of the giant pipes with a laptop. He was wearing a long sleeve white shirt with suspenders and a red bow tie.

"Eh, who cares" he shrugged "It's not like it was easy to get here. Must be pretty smart if he made it this far"

"I guess…" she said, finding another little boy about Gon's age with a yellow skateboard. He had messy silver hair, pale skin and big blue eyes. Ruka smiled as she watched him do a trick with his skateboard.

James had a point. If these kids made it this far they must be something. Getting to the start of the exam wasn't a picnic. Millions of people tried every year to enter the Hunter Exam and only a few hundred make it to the starting line. James and Ruka were the most recent arrivals themselves which meant there were three hundred and thirty four applicants here and less than two days until the deadline. These kids just might end up being some tough competition.

"Kids come to take the Hunter Exam all the time. They usually don't get too far" an unfamiliar voice said.

She turned her head to see a round man with brown hair and a square nose approach them. A badge with the number sixteen was attached to his blue tunic. "You guys must be new. How you doin'? The name's Tonpa" he said, holding out his hand.

"James. Nice to meet ya" he said boringly, shaking the man's hand.

He nodded and held his hand out to her. "Ruka" she said shortly, shaking his hand. "How'd you know we were new?" she asked curiously.

"Well, it'd be embarrassing if I didn't. This is my thirty-fifth attempt after all"

James gave Ruka a bewildered look out of the corner of his eye. "Thirty-fifth?" he mouthed, but Tonpa didn't seem to notice.

She pulled one of her knees up and rested her elbow on it, raising an eyebrow. "Wow, that's really—"

"Admirable" James finished quickly, shooting her a look. Ruka was actually going to say 'sad' and James knew it. "Your devotion, I mean" he continued "So, are there a lot of veterans around here?"

"Eh, we got a few but I'm probably the oldest one. I can help you guys out if you ever have any questions or want a little dirt on someone" he offered in a whisper.

"Really?" James said. "Alright, since you've been here thirty-five times, what's worked for you in the past? As far as trying to pass the exam?" he asked.

"Hm…" Tonpa thought, rubbing his chin. "The best thing that's worked for me…? Forming alliances" he answered. "I got a little farther each time"

"Alliances, huh? Sounds about right" James said.

Tonpa nodded. "So what do say? Wanna work together?" he asked.

Both of them raised their heads at the same time. "You want to work together with us? Uh…" James glanced over at Ruka for her approval.

She was feeling cautious about this guy but she didn't dare voice her thoughts to James, not with Tonpa standing so closely. It wasn't like she could talk to him privately either. Everyone was standing in such close proximity of each other.

Ruka looked at James and just shrugged her shoulders, then he looked back to Tonpa. "Er, sure, why not?" he replied.

The man clapped his hands together. "Oh great!" he said happily then rummaged around in his bag, taking out three orange cans. "How about a drink? I'm sure you guys had a long, tiresome journey!" he said.

"Who hasn't?" James said sarcastically, taking the can eagerly.

Ruka took the can of juice warily, but didn't open it. She didn't mind if someone was being helpful. If she was more experienced in certain areas she'd help newcomers too, that's just who she was. But the fact that Tonpa was being so forward and overfriendly didn't sit well with her.

She looked at the can in her hand and then glanced back at the applicants. Some were now staring at them. When she made eye contact they quickly looked away. Some were even unsuccessfully trying to hide their smirk. She pretended to look away and instead tuned her ears towards the nearest group who were whispering among themselves.

"There he goes again, sneaky rookie-crusher…" one of them snickered in a whisper.

Her hand clamped down on James' wrist as he was about to press the can to his lips. He gave her a surprised look, but she didn't pay attention to him and narrowed her eyes at Tonpa, who was looking at her equally bewildered.

So it was Tonpa, was it? She didn't expect him to show his face so soon.

"You haven't opened your drink, Mr. Tonpa. Something wrong?" she asked innocently.

He blinked in confusion. Ruka stood up and brushed off her pants. "You're the first person to approach us ever since we got here. And you're being unusually nice to us given the tense atmosphere in this place. Offering us dirt on applicants, forming alliances…" she listed.

"Well, I just thought you guys would want some kind of advantage since you're rookies and all" he said casually.

"You're smart, I'll give you that much" she said. James gave her a look that clearly said _what're-you-being-so-rude-for?!_ She ignored him and continued to stare at Tonpa. "But I suppose that's expected from someone who has the reputation of 'rookie-crusher'" she added quietly.

James blinked and looked from Ruka to Tonpa and back again. Tonpa's eyes suddenly widened to the size of dinner plates and the can of juice shook in his hand. He was looking over her shoulder at the boy with the laptop. "Why that little…!" he growled.

Ruka raised an eyebrow. "Oh, he knows too? Don't worry, he didn't tell me anything" she said, looking over her shoulder. "I just wasn't expecting you to show your face so soon"

"If he didn't tell you, how'd you know?" he hissed angrily.

"Let's just say I keep my ear to the ground" she replied coolly, tossing her unopened can back to him. "Former applicants get together a lot this time of year, you know. They meet up at a bar, get drunk, and divulge secrets. And I'm usually in the background gathering information" she explained simply. "And they would always mention something about a rookie-crusher, but they never said a name or what they looked like"

At this point, James took the open can of juice and poured its contents on the ground.

"It's such a pain when you don't have a name or face for this kind of stuff so I knew I had to be cautious. I was suspicious of you, but thanks to your loud-mouthed friend over there, he confirmed it for me. So I guess I can't take all the credit this time" she said, cocking her head towards the man she heard speak earlier. When she turned to stare at him again he looked away quickly, but she didn't miss the shocked look on his face. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Just don't bother us again" she told Tonpa.

Tonpa eventually gave her a cold glare and walked away mumbling under his breath. Ruka swore she heard him say 'bitch'. She sighed and slumped back down next to James.

"That was a close call. You think he spiked the juice?" he asked.

"I doubt it was anything that could kill us, but yeah. If you want to take out competition you have to be discreet" she responded.

"And killing is not discreet…" he finished, to which she nodded. "Were you serious about not telling anyone else about him? That's not like you" he observed.

"Well, if we get any more kids in the running of course I'll step in. But anyone other than that is fair game. Less competition for us too, right?" she said.

"I suppose." James agreed, taking his bow off his back. Ruka gave him a look and then punched his shoulder "Ow! What was that for?" he demanded, rubbing the sore area.

"Look I promised to have your back if you had mine until we became enemies here, but you need to stop being so gullible" she scolded, leaning back against the enormous pipe and closing her eyes.

"Gullible? I was thirsty and he seemed like a nice guy! How was I supposed to know he was trying to take us out?" he argued then shook his head, knowing little success would come out of arguing with her. "How _did_ you get info about that guy?"

The edge of her mouth twitched upward. "And you laughed at me for being a bartender" she said smugly.

James scoffed. "So you eavesdropped on a couple of drunk idiots. Big deal, anyone can do that" he said, tossing the empty can away and threw his head back. "We're gonna be here for a while, aren't we? Man, what a pain…" he groaned, taking a small device out of his pocket.

 _What a whiner_ she thought sarcastically. Ruka gazed at him out of the corner of her eye to see him untangling his MP3 player. "You brought it with you?" she asked incredulously.

"Nothing wrong with listening to some tunes before the Exam. Not like we're going to have time _during_ it" he said, putting one of the headphones in his ear. "Besides, we still have at least two days before the deadline. Might as well kill a little time" he said, offering her an earbud.

"No thanks" she told him.

He scoffed. "People should really lighten up around here" he said

"You are _way_ too laid back right now, you know that?" she said in slight annoyance. Maybe he didn't take it too seriously, but she did. Once she receives her Hunter's license, she'd be starting a whole new life.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard James snicker quietly. "Hey, you see that bald guy with the red scarf?" he whispered under his breath. Her eyes followed to the said man who was indeed bald, but also thickly built. Given his physique and how he carried himself it was safe to assume that he had some form of martial arts under his belt.

"Think he'll let me rub his head for good luck?" he muttered jokingly.

She gave James an annoyed look. "Why don't you ask Sniper Lady over there if you can see her rifle while you're at it?" she snapped, cocking her head towards the red haired woman with a rifle.

"It's a joke. Sheesh, even _you're_ tense" he said, folding his hands behind his head.

The sound of an opening elevator made everyone turn their heads as fifteen, no, twenty, more competitors stepped into the dark tunnel. That made a total of three hundred and fifty four applicants so far. Their puzzled expressions were met with the same cold glares Ruka and James received.

The tension in the air just got thicker.

 **Please review! So what did you guys think about James and Ruka? Also, I'm aware I didn't describe what Ruka looks like yet. That'll be in the next chapter.**


	3. The Starting Line

"Here we are, I'm pretty sure that's the building" the navigator said.

Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio raised their heads as high as their necks would allow to stare at the glossy skyscraper in front of them.

"Wow! It's so tall" Gon exclaimed in awe.

"So, this is the exam sight, eh?" Leorio said, holding his briefcase over his shoulder.

"Hunter applicants from all over the world come here" Kurapika said.

Gon clenched his fist as the excitement in his chest grew bigger. "My first shot at the Hunter Exam. Is this what it felt like for Dad too?" he wondered to himself. He was so close yet so far. He was going to do whatever it takes to pass. Now that Gon was thinking about it he probably should've told Haruka. But he hasn't seen her in months and couldn't write her a letter either because she never gave him an address. She always sent letters to him, but it was never the other way around. Haruka told him it was because she was never in one place for very long and that's visits were rare too. It didn't bother him too much.

"Hey guys, over here! This is it" the navigator called, interrupting their thoughts.

The three of them turned their heads to look at an ordinary restaurant next to the skyscraper. A faded painting of a meal was next to the shop's sign. No one was walking in or out.

"Oh c'mon, you're messing with us. Are you telling me that applicants from all over the world come to this old dive to take the Exam?" Leorio asked suspiciously.

"That's right" the navigator said simply. "You said so yourself that the Hunter Exam attracts millions of applicants. No one would expect it to be held here" he told them, entering the restaurant first and waited for the three of them to follow.

Only a few people were sitting inside and none of them looked like they were examinees. The furniture looked old and the paint was chipping in a few places on the wall. Other than that it was a really friendly atmosphere and smelled deliciously of deep fried chicken.

"Welcome, take a seat" said a gruff man behind the counter.

"Is the backroom available?" the navigator asked.

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "What're you having?" he asked.

"Steak combo for three, please. One that'll make us see the light" he told the chef.

For the briefest moment, Kurapika saw the chef stop stirring and gave them a serious look.

"For three, eh? How would you like it?"

"Grilled slowly over a low flame till done, please?"

 _What an elaborate code_ Kurapika thought as the chef told them to head to the backroom. The three of them followed the navigator down the hall, through a small staircase and into a small room with a single table with three chairs.

"Wait here" the navigator told them.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Leorio asked.

"That steak combo sounds great!" Gon said.

The other two gave him a bewildered look. "Gon, that was just a password to get us inside. There's no steak combo"

"Aw man, so we don't get to eat?" he asked, his smiling fading.

"Only one in ten thousand ever make it this far. You guys are the lucky ones" the navigator told them. "Best of luck, you three"

Gon held out his hand. "Thanks for your help" he said kindly.

The navigator stared for a brief moment then shook his hand with a smile. "I'd be honored to serve as your navigator next year" he said, then shut the door behind him. There was a soft whirring noise and the room rumbled as it began to descend.

"It's an elevator" Kurapika said, staring at the black screen on the wall as it went from B7…B8…B9…B10…

* * *

Gon was thankful when the elevator finally came to a halt. Honestly, he wasn't in the Hunter Exam for the money or nobility. He was taking it because it would lead him to his dad. Their bickering wasn't really annoying, but Gon couldn't help but smile when he thought about what Haruka would do if she was here.

 _"Shut it, you two_ _! Or I'll put you both in time-out"_

Gon chuckled. Yeah, that sounds like something she'd say. Haruka was usually calm and really compassionate towards other people. She rarely got angry, but when she did…well, it was enough to scare even him.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal an enormous crowd of people crammed together inside a tunnel. Several heads turned to stare at them all at once.

"Mood's pretty grim in here" Leorio muttered, stepping into the dark tunnel.

"These applicants are different from the ones in the city." Kurapika said softly. "Each one is a master in their own way"

"Excuse me" Gon began to say then stopped as everyone avoided eye contact with him. "Everyone's really on edge down here" he observed to the other two.

"Hello! Please take your number badge. Attach it to your chest at all times and be careful not to lose it" a short green explained as he handed them the numbers 403, 404, and 405.

"Haven't seen you guys around here before" a voice said to them. The three of them raised their heads to see a short, round man with a square nose sitting on top of one of the pipes on the ceiling.

"How can you tell we're new?" Gon asked curiously.

"Well…" he said, jumping down to the ground. "It'd be embarrassing if I didn't. This is my thirty-fifth attempt after all"

"You've tried thirty-five times?!" the three of them exclaimed in unison.

"I guess you can say I'm a Hunter Exam veteran" he smiled.

Leorio and Kurapika gave each other a mutual look. "Not something to brag about" Leorio muttered.

"Indeed" Kurapika agreed.

"The name's Tonpa. How you guys doin'?" he said, holding out his hand.

"I'm Gon. This is Kurapika and Leorio" Gon said, introducing the other two. They gave Tonpa a nod. "You've sure taken the exam a lot. Are you the only one here who's tried a bunch of times?"

"I've held the record, but yeah, there are others. For example, that guy over there…" Tonpa pointed to enormous man eating out of a square box. "Number two hundred and fifty five, Todo the wrestler. Strongest guy here and a lot smarter than he looks"

"Then there's applicant one hundred and three…" he continued, pointing to a middle-aged man who sat by himself. He was wearing a turban-like head piece and a purple scarf. "That's Bourbon the snake charmer. He can hold a grudge so don't get on his bad side"

Gon watched as a snake slithered on the man's shoulder and hissed in his ear. Bourbon then smirked as if it just told him a joke.

"Number one-ninety-one: Bodoro, he's a martial arts specialist. He might look old, but he's the best martial artist around" the man Tonpa pointed to looked to be in his early sixties with a long gray ponytail and a long mustache to match.

"Then you have the brothers over there; Amori, Imori, and Umori. They always work as a team so they almost always do really well" he explained, pointing to three young men who must've been either in their late teens or early twenties. All of them had a painted mark under each eye.

"And finally you have three hundred and eighty four. Gerreta the huntsman. He specializes in killing all kinds of creatures with his blow dart and club" he said, coming to the last of the exam veterans. The last man he referred to was dark-skinned and wearing a red tunic with a frilly collar and sunglasses. He may have looked a little silly, but his stern demeanor was enough to intimidate anyone.

* * *

"How much time do we have left?" she asked tiredly.

"About twenty minutes" James replied, glancing at his watch.

She groaned. It felt like she's been here forever. The elevator brought more applicants about ten minutes ago, but she didn't bother to see how many. It came and went so many times they both learned to ignore it. After about a day she realized the tension that filled the atmosphere wasn't just because people were nervous about taking the exam, but there was a good chance they would all have to fight each other to get a license. Each new applicant meant more competition and you couldn't exactly find out someone's strengths and weaknesses by staring at them from afar (at least, most people couldn't). She guessed that was why majority of the people were avoiding conversation.

The sooner the Exam started the better.

She closed her eyes again, but only for a brief moment as an agonizing scream cut through the tense air. All the applicants turned their heads at the sound and several others gasped. James and Ruka mirrored the same confused expression; both stood up at the same time and ran to find its source. Several examinees stood in a wide circle, seemingly too shocked to move.

"Excuse me...sorry, excuse me…excuse me, sorry…" Ruka repeated several times as they tried to maneuver and nudge their way to the front to see what was happening.

She stopped short behind James and her eyes widened in terror at the sight in front of her. A man in a purple cape was screaming in agony as his arms were slowly being disintegrated into pink petals. _What the hell's going on?_ She thought in alarm.

"My, how unusual. Seems this poor man's arms have turned into flower petals"

Ruka's raised her head to look at the man standing in front of the injured one. Her eyes widened and she felt the blood drain from her face when she recognized him. He was a pale man in his late twenties, maybe even early thirties. He was dressed like some kind of jester and had slanted golden eyes, and his hair was wavy and deep red. If it was another shade darker, Ruka would've compared it to blood.

"Now you see them, now you don't" he sang as if describing a disappearing coin trick.

Several people around them grumbled uncomfortably. She didn't know if that was what brought her back to her senses or the fact that the man had slumped forward with a loud _thump_ and was shaking uncontrollably on the ground. Ruka's eyes darted left and right; not a single person stepped forward to help the injured man. _Unbelievable_ she thought. Ruka took about half a step forward when James' hand clamped down on her wrist.

"Wait," he whispered through gritted teeth, knowing full well what she was about to do. He sidestepped slightly so that he was standing in front of her. His eyes were cautious and he didn't blink once, clearly concerned the pale man would do the same to her if she stepped closer.

It was a sweet gesture. Not that she needed it.

"You should be more careful and apologize when you bump into someone" he remarked and then sauntered away.

Everyone's eyes watched him walk away. Ruka waited until he was out of sight before stepping forward towards the man in the purple cape and James followed behind her.

"Are you alright?" She asked. It was a dumb question, she knew that, but it was out of habit. Ruka put a hand on the man's shoulder armor as James appeared on his other side.

"Who was that creep?" James muttered, looking over his shoulder.

"Hisoka" she answered, helping the man sit up.

James looked at her, astonished. "You know that guy?!" he asked in disbelief.

"No. I know _of_ him" she corrected, turning her attention back to the injured man. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"M-My arms…they're gone!" he wailed, shaking.

Indeed, his arms were completely gone. No bones, skin, nothing. There wasn't even any blood.

"Shit, he needs a doctor" James said.

"Right." she exhaled. "We'll help you. Come on, on your feet" she told him, helping him stand. She placed one hand on his back and the other on his shoulder in order to balance him upright and instructed James to do the same.

Several people watched them, some with raised eyebrows. None of them said anything, but Ruka felt like she knew what they were thinking. This was the Hunter Exam which meant every man and woman for themselves. The fact that the rest of them were watching them with narrowed eyes and sly smirks didn't make her feel any better. It was the same look a predator would have after it found a strong prey with a limp.

"Hate to say it, but it looks like we put a target on our backs" she muttered, steadying the man as he almost fell backwards.

"Well, we can worry about that later. Where's the guy that was handing out the badges?"

* * *

Kurapika watched as a young man and woman helped the man who lost his arms. It was nice to see that not everyone here was devoid of human decency, but still, those two took a big risk helping a man like that. Many applicants could see them as easy targets now. They couldn't be much older than him. The young man was tall, had messy electric blue hair and golden brown eyes. He was wearing a long sleeved white shirt underneath a black sleeveless jacket and black pants.

However, it was the woman who made him curious. Mostly because Gon was staring at her intently. Kurapika frowned curiously and stared at the woman. She was thin and maybe an inch or two taller than him, she also had long black hair with dark green hues similar to Gon's and eyes that were a light amber color. She was wearing black high-waist yoga pants, black sneakers, and a purple, loose fitted V-neck shirt.

They approached the short green-skinned man who'd been handing out badges. They talked briefly before helping the injured applicant inside the elevator and the short man disappeared with him. That only meant there were four hundred and four applicants left.

Kurapika turned back to look at Gon who was still staring wide-eyed at the woman. The young boy also had an enormous smile on his face to the point where his cheeks were starting to turn red and his clenched fists were shaking. Kurapika looked from Gon then back at the woman. Why was Gon behaving so strangely? Was there something dangerous about this woman?

However, his question was quickly answered when the young boy next to him made a beeline straight towards her.

"Big sis!" he shouted excitedly. His voice echoed off the walls. The alarmed woman turned around as Gon attacked her around her middle.

 **So what do you guys think? Please review!**


	4. Phase One Begins

**Thank you evy and Guest for reviewing and to those who favorited/followed!**

* * *

Chapter 4

"Excuse me, sir" Ruka said as she approached the short green man, whom she learned was named Bean. "This man's hurt, I don't think he'll be able to participate in the exam"

"Oh my, what happened?" he asked, looking at the injured man in the purple cape.

"We don't exactly know what happened beforehand. But we saw an applicant turn this guy's arms into confetti" James explained, cocking his head behind him.

"Oh dear, well, I'll get him to a hospital immediately" he said, walking towards the elevator.

They stepped inside the small room and helped the injured man sit in a chair. He didn't say anything as he stared blankly at the lazy Susan, his teeth clenched. Whether it was out of anger or pain, she didn't know. Ruka bit her lip, wondering if she should say something. However, she doubted anything she said would make him feel better. She and James stepped out of the elevator as Bean stepped in.

"Sir, will all due respect, there has to be some kind of rule broken here" Ruka reasoned tensely.

"Unfortunately not. There isn't any rule that says applicants can't weed out competition before the exam." he explained. "I'll get this man safely to the hospital. Best of luck" was the last thing he said as the elevator doors shut in their faces. They stood there for a moment until the sound of the elevator completely disappeared.

"No rule that says applicants can't weed out competition before the exam, huh?" Ruka said, breaking the short silence between them. "Well, that would explain why rookie-crushers are never disqualified" she added, holding her chin thoughtfully. But if there's no rule, wouldn't there be far less applicants? She glanced at James. "I doubt a lot of people here know that, or even thought about it" she told him.

James looked over his shoulder at the horde of people then back at her. "Let's keep it to ourselves. The last thing we want to do is turn this place into a battle royal" he said.

"Agreed," she nodded, folding her arms over her chest.

"Big sis!"

Ruka's head suddenly snapped up as if someone had taken the end of a wire and shocked her. That voice. No, it can't be.

If it would've been any other place, Ruka would've been so happy to hear it, but standing in this tunnel right now, the only thing she could hear were alarm bells. When Ruka turned around she was attacked around her middle so forcefully that it knocked the breath out of her and she fell back on her tailbone.

" _G-Gon?_ " she stammered in disbelief, pushing herself up on her elbows.

The boy had shouted so loudly that nearly all the applicants turned to look at them.

"Wow, I never thought the next time I'd see you would be at the Hunter Exam!" he positively beamed. "It's so great to see you!" he said, throwing his arms around her shoulders in a tight hug that practically choked her.

"I-It's great to see you too, squirt" she said softly, hoping her voice didn't betray her too much. Ruka hugged him back tightly. He was slightly heavier than she remembered.

James cleared his throat. She glanced up to see a very confused look on his face.

"Oh," she said as she stood up and rubbed her backside. "James, this is my brother, Gon. Gon, this is James. He's a friend of mine" she introduced.

"Hi, nice to meet you!" Gon said brightly, holding out his hand.

"So you're the Gon I've heard so much about" James stated, shaking his hand. "She talks about you a lot. It gets annoying sometimes" he looked at her when he said the last sentence which made Ruka hit his arm.

"I've never met one of her friends before, she never brings anyone to Whale Tail Island. So how'd you guys meet?" the young boy asked curiously.

"We work together" she interjected as he was about to open his mouth. "At the restaurant I was telling you about, remember? He's one of the cooks"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw James blink. His face went from confused to disapproving in a second.

"Oh cool. Maybe after the Exam we can go to your place, I'd love to see it" Gon said hopefully.

"Uh, sure, buddy" she said hesitantly, looking down at him. "But Gon, what're—"

Before she could ask him why he's here, Gon suddenly grabbed her hand. "Come with me. I have some friends I want you to meet too" he said, pulling her along.

"Gon, wait, ow!" she exclaimed. The firm grip he had on her hand was equal to that of a grown man. He's gotten stronger and a little bit taller too. She stared down at the top of his head as he continued to pull her along, her eyes softening. He's grown…

He continued to awkwardly drag her towards Tonpa and two others that were standing with him. One was a blonde, pale boy, no older than seventeen. He was wearing a red and blue tabard on top of a white long sleeve shirt and white pants and had a messenger bag slung over one shoulder. The second was a tall man in a blue suit. He had spiky black hair and was wearing small, black tea-shades. He was carrying a red and black diamond patterned briefcase with him.

"This is Kurapika and Leorio" Gon introduced, gesturing first to the blonde then to the other guy. They both nodded in greeting. "Guys, this is my older sister, Haruka"

"Oh god, please, just call me Ruka. Nice to meet you guys" she said, shaking both of their hands. "We've already met" she added, motioning to Tonpa. James eventually appeared next to her and introduced himself too.

"So why are you guys taking the exam?" James asked with his hands jammed in his pockets.

"Personal reasons. I'm not comfortable disclosing them with everyone I meet just yet" Kurapika replied coolly, folding his arms over his chest.

"I can respect that" James shrugged. "What about you?" he asked, turning to Leorio.

"Me? Well, I don't have a super complex reason like this guy" he said, shrugging towards Kurapika. "I'm in it for the money. Being a Hunter means making more money than anyone in the world!" he said, earning himself a sharp glare from the blonde.

Ruka could practically see the dollar signs flashing in his eyes. "That's right," she agreed simply, putting her hands on her hips. "All it takes is finding the right clientele and you'll be rich in no time"

Kurapika's gaze went from Leorio to the woman in front of him. "You agree with him?" he asked, seemingly indifferent, but his tone gave him away.

She turned her attention to the blonde, quirking an eyebrow slightly at his change of tone and the look of disbelief. "Well, yeah. I mean, that's what we're in it for" she said, jerking her thumb between herself and James.

The blonde's expression turned from disbelief to utter disappointment. Gon and this woman may have been siblings, but they were different in terms of what they valued.

"Yes! Finally someone gets it" Leorio exclaimed triumphantly, shooting the blonde a smug look. Kurapika, however, looked completely aloof. "I like you" he added, resting an elbow on her shoulder.

"Easy pal, you don't know me that well yet" Ruka told him, brushing his arm off. Leorio awkwardly apologized and James snickered.

"If we both become Hunters we can look for Dad together" Gon said.

She looked down at her brother and blinked. His face lit up as he told her about how Aunt Mito told him he could take the Hunter Exam if he caught the Master of the Lake, and that was exactly what he ended up doing.

"And then everyone started saying how Dad was the last person to ever catch it and how I was just like him!" he said proudly, hitching his backpack a little higher on his shoulders.

Ruka pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. _Damn it, Aunt Mito. What the hell were you thinking?_

So that's why he was here. Gon was taking the Hunter Exam in order to find Ging. She couldn't say the same for herself, however.

Dad. A word she forgot the meaning of a long time ago. It didn't normally make her blood boil anymore. However, listening to Gon talk so eagerly about him was threatening to make her old emotions resurface.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Gon, I…" she was going to tell him that there was no way she'd ever want to look for that man, but looking at his smile that reached from one ear to the other made her swallow her words. Instead, she sighed. "I'll think about it. Is that okay, squirt?" she asked.

"Sure" he nodded.

Ruka's mouth twitched up in a grin as she ruffled his hair. Gon playfully ducked away and made it spikey again.

"Ahem" Tonpa cleared his throat. "As I was saying, how about we all have a toast to friendship!" he said, taking out three orange cans from his messenger bag. In order to avoid suspicion, he took out another two cans for her and James.

"Oh, no thanks. We still the ones you gave us earlier" she said nonchalantly. Tonpa eyed her warily as if expecting her to say something to the other three, but she didn't.

"Thanks! I could use a drink, I'm parched" Leorio said eagerly, taking the can. Gon and Kurapika did the same, but the latter did so cautiously.

Her ear twitched as a nearby applicant started snickering. "Well, there he goes playing the nice guy again. He's the nastiest one around here" he whispered under his breath.

"Here's to good fortune! Cheers" Tonpa said. Again, just like with them he didn't open his can.

She didn't say anything as all three of them opened their cans. James frowned and leaned closer to her ear. "Shouldn't you say something? That's your brother" he muttered.

Ruka smirked. "Just watch" she murmured back, watching as Gon brought the can to his lips.

Not two seconds later, the young boy blinked and then spit the juice right out. "I think this juice might've gone bad, Mr. Tonpa. It takes funny" Gon said meekly.

She smiled when she saw the amazed look on James' face. "He sure is something isn't he? Hey, watch it!" she snapped as Leorio spit out his juice and would've gotten all over her sneakers if she hadn't jumped away.

"Ah, sorry," he said, wiping his mouth. "Whew, that was a close call!"

Kurapika had merely opened his can and poured out the contents. All three turned to look at Tonpa who quickly disguised his shocked face into one of confusion.

"Oh, that's so weird. Really sorry about that fellas" he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He clapped his hands together and kneeled in front of them. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea the juice had gone bad!"

"It's not your fault" Gon assured. "What about you, are you feeling okay?"

"I feel just fine" he replied.

"Oh, that's good. I've tried all kinds of herbs on the mountains back home. So I can usually taste when something's bad" Gon explained. Behind him, Ruka was grinning proudly.

"Wow. That's really something, kid" Tonpa said.

Ruka wondered if she was the only one that could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Tonpa made eye contact with her and she gave him a deadpan glare that said _you tried, now_ _get lost_. The man stood up on his feet.

"Well, I'll see you guys around" he said then left hastily.

She rested her elbow on top of Gon's head. "Taste something funny in the drink, huh?" she grinned.

Gon stared up at her in confusion. "Hm? No, I think it just went bad because it was at room temperature for too long. You have to keep it refrigerated" he pointed out.

Ruka raised an eyebrow at him. Wow, sometimes he was too naïve for his own good. "Uh, right…"

James glanced down at his watch. "Hey Ruka, we should probably get our stuff. The Exam's going to start any minute now" he told her.

"Alright," she told him and then ruffled Gon's hair one more time. "Catch you later, squirt. Be careful, okay?" she added.

"Okay, good luck" he said. "And no hard feelings if one of us fails, okay?" he called.

"'Course" she nodded and followed James back to where they were sitting earlier.

"Was it a good idea risking your brother's life like that?" he asked. "What if there was some kind of poison in that juice?"

She frowned at him. "I already told you, I don't think he'd put anything in the juice that would actually kill someone" she reminded. "Besides, you really think I'd put my brother's life in danger if I didn't know he was gonna be okay?" she questioned, crouching down and opening her backpack to make sure everything was still in there. Ruka stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder only to be met with James' disparagingly look.

"What?" she asked.

"'We work together'?" he quoted. "Ruka, we haven't worked together in five years. You didn't tell him about the fire, did you?" he asked.

She pursed her lips in a tight line. "No, I didn't" she admitted guiltily. James opened his mouth to say something, but she interrupted him. "But you can't tell him, okay?"

"I'm not gonna tell him, Ruka, that's not my job. I just met the kid" he said, slightly irritated. "Does he even know that you're homeless?" he asked seriously.

" _Was_ homeless" she corrected defensively. "Do you really fucking think I'd make it here if I had empty pockets?" she demanded quietly.

"Okay, that's beside the point. When I invited you stay at my mom's inn you told me you were thinking about going home"

" _Thinking_. Didn't say I was" she pointed out defensively again. "I couldn't, okay? Gon looks up to me. How was I supposed to tell him that I lost everything in a fire? Besides, my aunt and I…" she stopped and exhaled slowly through her mouth, trying to calm down.

She didn't want to think about her falling out with Aunt Mito and she _really_ didn't want to think about that fire. The fire that took their friends, their homes, their jobs, and their livelihood that day.

"Look, right now isn't the time nor the place. If we get a break sometime during this exam I'll tell you why I didn't go back. Deal?"

James sighed and shook his head. "Fine, deal. Just answer one question for me" he said, arms crossed and leaned against the wall. "If you didn't go back to Whale Tail Island, what _have_ you been doing for the past five years besides bartending?" he inquired suspiciously.

She held her tongue in between her teeth. "Stuff" she answered to which he raised an eyebrow. "It's complicated. I get it if you're mad at me. And if you don't want to stick with me through this exam anymore then…"

"Don't be an idiot, I'm not mad at you" he scoffed as if she just told a bad joke. "Just confused. We promised we'd get through this thing together, didn't we?" he assured, then turned to smirk at her. "Besides, I'm sure all of the women here are jealous you have a big, strong, handsome man to lean on" he joked smugly.

She gave him a look. "Yeah, remind me to count my blessings" she said sarcastically, flicking his forehead.

A loud, obnoxious sounding bell cut through the silent tunnel. It rang for a solid minute before it stopped and the whole tunnel began to rumble as the wall on the far end lifted to reveal a tall slender man in a purple suit with a curly mustache holding the bell by the string. He stood there stiffly until the enormous wall disappeared into the ceiling. Everyone seemed to hold their breath.

"I apologize for the long delay" he said. "Thank you for waiting."

James and Ruka took a deep breath. "Well, here we go" he muttered, putting his sword inside the quiver with his bow and arrows.

"The entry period for Hunter applicants is now closed" he continued. "So without further ado, the Hunter Exam will now begin"

For the first time since she arrived, the crowd began to murmur and buzz with anticipation. Ruka bit her bottom lip and looked over her shoulder at Gon, who had a determined smile on his face. She took another deep breath, but it was a little shaky this time.

"He'll be okay" she assured herself in a whisper.

James must've heard because he elbowed her arm and nodded reassuringly.

"A final word of caution to all of you: If you are short on luck or ability, it's very likely you'll be seriously injured or killed. If you accept this risk, please follow me. If not…" he pointed to the back of the tunnel. "Then please exit through the elevator behind you"

Several heads began to scan the crowd, but no one moved.

"Very well then, all four hundred and four applicants will participate in phase one. Please follow me" he said then turned around and began to walk almost robotically. The crowd followed him.

"Man…" she heard Leorio sigh behind her. "Not that I'm surprised, but I was hoping at least a few people would drop out"

"Think of it this way…" she began, looking over her shoulder. "Now you have all the more reason to prove why you're the worthiest applicant for a Hunter's license"

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better, lady" he grumbled dismally.

Suddenly, the echoing sound of footsteps hitting the concrete quickly turned into rapid pounding. People started to jog first and then broke out into a run. Everyone around them quickened their pace. The five of them began to do the same.

"I think the people in front have started running" Gon said.

"That's because he picked up the pace" Kurapika voiced.

"How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself" the examiner said. "My name is Satotz and I'm your examiner for the first phase. It's my duty to lead you all to the second phase"

"Second? What about the first?" the man in red scarf questioned.

"The first phase is already underway" Satotz responded and the horde of people immediately began to buzz. "All you have to do is follow me to the second phase"

"Follow you? That's it?" the same applicant asked.

"That's right. I can't tell you where or when we'll reach our destination. All you have to do is follow me"

"Hmph. Seems like a basic endurance test if you ask me" Leorio grinned, seemingly in a better mood than before. "That's right up my alley"

"This test's weird" Gon commented.

"Simple enough for me" James stated resolutely.

"Don't get cocky" Ruka warned, tying her hair up in a ponytail as she ran. "There's probably more to this test than he's letting on. Not knowing how far, how long, or where we're running is a mental exercise as much as it is a physical one" she explained.

Kurapika blinked and stared at her back, her ponytail swishing back and forth. That's exactly what he was thinking. Well, she may be smarter than she was shallow.

"Sounds to me like you're scared I'm going to win the first hundred jenny, Ruka. Why don't you save yourself the embarrassment and just give it to me now" James grinned.

Ruka laughed. "Keep dreaming, wise guy" she challenged.

Gon raised an eyebrow and maneuvered around so that he ran alongside his sister. "What're you guys talking about?" he questioned curiously.

"We made a bet. The first one to complete a phase owes the other a hundred jenny" she replied.

"You want in on the action, little buddy?" James asked.

"Sure, okay!"

"Oh, no way" Ruka interrupted. "Sorry Gon, but that'd be cheating"

"Huh? How?" he whined.

"How? Well, in a nutshell, you're younger than us. That means you're faster, stronger, _and_ have more energy. It wouldn't exactly be a fair bet"

The young boy's pout turned into a sly grin. "I guess that's true… _grandma_ "

Ruka's eyes flashed and before she could even think about tackling him, Gon had already ran ahead and disappeared amidst the sea of people.

"If this exam doesn't kick his ass, I definitely am" she said in annoyance and James chuckled.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 4. Please don't forget to leave a quick review! It really motivates me to get the next chapter out!**


	5. Light at the End of the Tunnel

**Thank so much to those who reviewed/favorited/followed.**

 **Wavywavy: Thank you! To be honest I wasn't sure what I wanted their relationship to be like. I was trying not to make it bland and typical, so the fact that you liked their dynamics really means a lot! :)**

* * *

Chapter 5

This tunnel couldn't go on forever, it had to end somewhere.

That's what Ruka was thinking as they reached the two hour mark. A lot of applicants had already dropped out or fallen behind. The ones still following the examiner had spread out so that they were each running at their own speed.

She couldn't see Gon though. If he wasn't in front of her then he was probably behind her. She lost sight of Leorio too, Kurapika was a little ways ahead of her, and James was three steps behind her. He didn't sound too weary and was still at a steady pace.

Even though they were running on flat ground and the tunnel was cool and breezy, Ruka felt like she was starting to slow down. The sweat that was starting to form on her nape and on her back was really bothering her. She wasn't tired yet and her legs weren't burning either, but the way her shirt stuck to her skin was uncomfortable and was beginning to feel like extra weight.

"Oh screw it" she muttered irritably, pulling her sweaty shirt over her head and briefly slowed to a jog so she could stuff it inside her backpack. Ah, much better. Good thing she decided to wear a sports bra.

"I'm gonna run ahead" she told James.

"Go for it. I'll catch up" he replied, breathing in between each sentence.

Ruka surged forward, but not fast enough to break out into a full sprint. Without knowing how far or how long they'd have to run, going at full speed right now would be like running this marathon with a slit throat. As long as she took deep breaths and the examiner was still within her sight she should be fine.

She chuckled. It was good thing it wasn't her time of month either. Otherwise this marathon would be a nightmare.

The boy with the laptop and suspenders picked up his pace so that he was running right behind the examiner, balancing the laptop on one arm and typing away on it.

James was right, these were some tough kids and being in their youth definitely gave them an advantage. Not that it discouraged her, if anything it was motivation. If a couple preteens could pass this phase so could she.

"Hey, Ruka…" She looked to her right to see James running shoulder-to-shoulder with her. Looks like he really wanted that hundred jenny. "I don't mean to distract you or anything, but you got a few admirers" he said under his breath.

"Huh?" she said in confusion, stealing a quick look over her shoulder. Sure enough a couple of male applicants were creepily eying her. When she glanced at them they looked away, but when Ruka turned her attention back to the front she felt their eyes on her again. It was kind of look a man would have if he was checking out a woman at the gym. She grumbled angrily, feeling the color rise in her cheeks.

"Should I tell them to fuck off?" James offered.

"No. It's not like they'd listen to you anyway" she breathed. "God, it's like they've never seen a girl in a sports bra" she muttered in annoyance, stealing a quick glimpse out of the corner of her eye. "Why don't you guys take a picture, it'll last longer" she snapped at them.

Ruka picked up the pace, running past several applicants and James followed.

"If I got a chance to kick their ass you wouldn't stop me, right?" she asked him in a huff.

He gave her a look, but then grinned. "Fine, just this once. But only because I think it'd be fun to watch" he teased.

* * *

Leorio loosened his tie. Fuck, this suit was really stuffy. And the briefcase he was carrying began to feel like it weighed a ton. He should've just carried it all in a backpack. Every other applicant he saw seemed to have one. They were smart and prepared for this, unlike him.

A lot of them weren't even out of breath like he was! What kind of monsters were they?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wheels scratching against concrete. When he looked to his right a boy with spiky silver hair passed by him on a yellow skateboard.

"Hey, hold on kid!" he shouted and was met with big blue eyes as the boy turned to him in confusion. "Why don't you show a little respect for the exam?" Leorio snapped.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean quit using a damn skateboard, that's cheating!" he pointed angrily.

The boy looked down at his skateboard then back to Leorio. "How?"

"How? This is an endurance test. That's how!"

"No, it's not" Gon spoke.

Leorio and the boy with the spiky hair turned to look at him. "What was that?" Leorio asked.

"All the examiner said was that we had to follow him. That's it" Gon pointed out.

"Hey who's side are you on, his or mine?!" Leorio demanded. But he didn't get an answer as the boy with silver hair slowed down so that he was skateboarding alongside Gon.

"Hey, how old are you?" he asked curiously.

"Hm? Twelve years old" Gon answered.

The boy's eyebrows twitched upward and he regarded Gon silently as if pondering something. The latter smiled. Then as quick as a flash, his skateboard shot up in the air and he caught it single-handedly.

"Maybe I'll run for a bit" he said.

"Wow, cool!" Gon exclaimed, running forward to catch up with the boy.

"Thanks," he said quietly. "I'm Killua"

"Hey, I'm Gon" he replied.

Leorio grumbled in annoyance as the two twelve year olds ran past him. He wasn't going to let them make a fool out of him.

* * *

It's been about four hours already. The examiner hadn't changed his pace and this damn tunnel was never ending. Even the boy with the red bowtie, who was two steps ahead of her, was dragging his feet and he'd been running right behind the examiner. His hair was disheveled, sweat was dripping down his face, saliva ran down the corners of his mouth with every breath, and snot was running out of his nose.

How much farther until they reached the second phase?

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Her mind was still resolved on passing this test. She was more worried about the fatigue that was threatening to crack her fortitude. Her legs were really starting to burn so she slowed down to ease off a little pain. It would've been much easier to ignore if she had her music with her and it would definitely make this marathon less grueling. Maybe James would let her borrow his MP3 player.

The guy was five feet ahead of her. If he was out of breath he wasn't showing it. Ruka took a deep breath and widened her stride despite the protest in her legs, running around the boy with the red bowtie.

Kurapika was even farther than them. He was almost with the horde in front. She still couldn't find Gon though. Examinees were dropping like flies, maybe he fell behind too. Ruka shouldn't feel relieved, but she was. Better to be a drop out than dead.

"Hey rookie!"

Ruka looked over her shoulder, assuming the speaker was talking to her but they weren't. It was the Amori brothers and they'd crowded around the boy with the bowtie.

"Damn, you're a real mess" Umori mocked.

"I don't think I've seen anyone run out of steam this early" the third, Imori, belittled.

Ruka's expression went from confused to shock in a second. They were actually _taunting_ him. The three of them must've been rookie crushers too. Judging by the look in the boy's eyes, they were getting to him.

"Yeah he's right, you're pathetic" Amori sneered.

"Think someone like you has what it takes to pass the Hunter Exam?" Umori told him.

She slowed down so that she was almost running alongside them. "Hey, why don't you punks pick on someone your own size!" she snapped at them.

The three of them all turned their heads to her at the same time. "Mind your own business, chick" Amori told her.

"Yeah, you should worry more about yourself, rookie" Imori said.

She ignored them and turned her attention to the boy with the bowtie. "Hey kid, don't listen to them. C'mon, follow me" she encouraged.

He was about to run through the gap between Umori and Imori, but they blocked him. "A pathetic, fat slob like you has no chance of passing this thing" Umori ridiculed.

"Seriously. Don't ever come back here, loser" Imori agreed.

The boy clapped his hands over his ears and cried out in anguish, falling to his knees. Ruka watched the boy continue to cry out hysterically and skidded to a halt, flashing the three brothers a dirty look. Umori laughed as he passed by her. She did the idiotic thing and ran to the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. There's always next year" she assured.

"I failed…I've never failed before!" he sobbed hysterically as snot continued to run out his nose.

She pursed her lips unsurely, but before she could give any more encouragement someone tugged at her elbow. She didn't have to turn around to know it was James.

"We have to keep moving" he told her, beads of sweat clung to his forehead. She looked at the boy hesitantly. "Forget about him. Come on, we're falling behind" he urged, pulling her up and pushing her ahead.

Ruka shook her head and broke out into a run to catch up to the examiner with James alongside her. "I can't believe those guys" she muttered furiously.

"Look, I get that you have a soft spot for kids but you're not going to get far if you worry about other applicants" he criticized. "Besides, it's not like that kid was going to get far anyway" he added.

"You're defending those assholes?!" she demanded.

"Of course not, Ruka! I'm saying if he wasn't mentally strong enough to handle a little taunting then he didn't stand a chance of passing this exam" he explained.

Ruka looked away and pursed her lips in a tight line angrily. "That doesn't make it okay" she griped.

"I know it doesn't. But you know I'm right" he said as they came close to the three brothers and just in time to see Tonpa discreetly hand them a couple thousand jenny.

"You sure do love crushing rookies, don't you?" Ruka heard Imori say.

"It's the only reason I get out of bed in the morning" Tonpa remarked, smirking.

"You're a sad, pathetic man" she stated, brushing past him. At he couldn't turn her arms into confetti.

* * *

His legs were beginning to feel like lead and his vision was starting to blur from exhaustion. No matter how deeply he inhaled it didn't feel like he was getting enough oxygen.

 _One every three years, huh?_ Leorio thought to himself. What were the chances of him being that one rookie? Zero. His confidence was slowly fading into self-doubt as his 'I-can-do-this!' attitude was replaced with 'if onlys'

If only he'd better prepared for this.

If only he'd worked out more.

If only he'd researched beforehand what he was in for.

If wrestlers and martial artists couldn't pass this exam, how could he?

What was he thinking?

The briefcase slipped from his hand as he finally came to a stop with his hands on his knees.

"Huh?" Gon mumbled when he heard the clatter. The boy slowly came to a stop. Killua raised an eyebrow and stopped too.

Leorio felt like his face was on fire. Perspiration clung desperately onto his skin. A single sweat drop hung from the end of his nose. He was about to collapse on the ground when he felt a pair of eyes staring at him. He looked up to see that Gon and the silver-haired boy, Killua, stopped. _Damn it, forget about me kid. I'm done_ he thought.

"Hey, come on. We need to go" Killua said, but Gon didn't seem to hear him.

Gon continued to stare at him and waited quietly. Leorio continued to breathe in and out deeply, shakily. So that's it, was it? Gon was just going to stand there until he moved? Now he wasn't only holding himself back, but Gon too!

Killua looked from Gon to Leorio and back again, confused by the sight happening in front of him.

 _What am I doing here anyway?_ Leorio thought dismally.

 _So you can be a doctor_ said a small voice in his head.

Leorio blinked. Doctor. That's why he was here. He was going to be a Hunter so he can get money to become a doctor.

He dug his fingernails into his knees, hearing every vein in his body pulsed rhythmically. But could he do it?

There was no 'could' about it. He _had_ to.

Leorio took a big gulp of air. "Man, SCREW THIS!" he yelled, sprinting at full speed and ignored the protest of his aching limbs. So what if he wasn't as well prepared as others? It didn't mean they'd pass and it didn't mean he'd fail! "I'm becoming a Hunter no matter what. Damn it all!" he thundered.

Leorio dashed past the two twelve year olds so quickly he missed the beaming smile on Gon's face. The dark-haired boy took out his fishing rod and with one sharp swing it latched onto the briefcase. Gon yanked it back and caught it deftly as it sailed towards him. "Got it!"

Killua's eyes widened in amazement. "That was awesome!" he exclaimed before they continued to run. "Can I try that later?" he asked.

"Sure, if you let me try your skateboard" Gon promised.

* * *

Ruka skidded to a halt. "Oh fucking hell" she groaned in exasperation, staring up at the staircase that led to darkness.

Her heart hammered against her chest and her breathing was short and rapid. Now was a good time as ever to use whatever stamina she had left to get her through these stairs. She didn't even look at her friend before she started climbing. This had to be the end of the first phase.

Amazingly, James was able to match her speed. They should be fine as long as they kept their breathing even.

"We've reached the eighty kilometer mark. Now let's pick up the pace, shall we?" the examiner told the applicants as he _literally_ galloped up the mountain of stairs.

"Is he insane?!" one of the applicants shouted.

"Look at him. He's prancing up those stairs like it's nothing!" another said.

Ruka swallowed hard, silently agreeing with the others. People were going to start collapsing left and right if he kept going like this. Her calves were begging her to stop and the cramp in her thigh was getting worse, but she refused to stop and catch her breath. The examiner wasn't going to slow down and that meant she couldn't either.

"Are you okay, Leorio?" she heard Kurapika speak behind her.

She glimpsed over her shoulder to look at the two of them, not realizing she just ran past Kurapika who was two steps behind her. Leorio had his shirt and suit jacket tied around his waist, but his necktie was still around his neck and fluttering behind him.

"Just great! Couldn't be better!" he yelled. "As long as I forget about how stupid I look"

"Look on the bright side, at least you don't have a bunch of perverts ogling at you" she called over her shoulder.

"Eh, I guess that's true" he huffed, appearing beside her. "Thought I'd join you guys" he said.

"Hmph, just try to keep up" she grinned. Not ten seconds later Kurapika jogged up to them too, tucking his tabard inside his bag.

"Leorio, I have a question for you" Kurapika said.

"What, this phase too easy for you so you're trying to challenge yourself? Save your breath, Kurapika. You'll need it!" he said.

Ruka saw Kurapika eye them hesitantly, clearly wanting a private conversation with Leorio. "James, let's try and get to the top" she told him, taking two steps at a time.

"Oh really? I was thinking about staying here" he remarked sarcastically, following close behind.

She kept running until she was well out of their range. However, it didn't matter how far away Ruka was because her hearing wasn't like normal people. If she wanted, she could tune in on someone's conversation without them knowing. It wasn't something she did often, but she was curious why Kurapika wanted to talk to Leorio privately.

"Why do you want to be a Hunter? Is it really just about the money?" she heard him ask. Leorio was quiet. "I didn't think so. Sure, you have a terrible attitude and you're not very smart either" he added and this time Leorio grumbled, clearly offended. Ruka chuckled. "But you're not… you're not shallow like those two" he added under his breath.

Of course Ruka heard it though. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was talking about her and James. _So judgmental…_ she thought. A part of her was annoyed, but she was also slightly amused. Yeah, she was doing it for her own reasons, one of them being mostly about money. Whether Kurapika wanted to believe it or not, money was a necessity in this world. If you didn't have it, you were as good as dead.

"You got me all figured out, don't you?" Leorio retorted.

Kurapika was quiet, for a moment Ruka thought he decided to drop the conversation. "Scarlet eyes…" he suddenly said. "That's why the Phantom Troupe targeted the Kurta"

She nearly tripped over her own feet. Phantom Troupe? She's heard of them. She's heard about the scarlet eyes too.

"The scarlet eyes are a unique trait possessed only by the Kurta. When our emotions are heightened our eyes turn scarlet red and they're considered one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. And they come at a hefty price on the black market. Not a single member of my clan escaped desecration that day. I can still hear them screaming"

Ruka imagined a young Kurapika on his knees in the middle of a burning village, trembling and helplessly covering his ears as people with empty eye sockets and bloodied faces screamed in agony. People desperately grasping at nothing, trying to find their eyes. Thinking about it made a shiver run down her spine.

"I swore on my life I would capture the Phantom Troupe and avenge my clan by taking back their eyes"

"That's why you want to be a Hunter" Leorio stated.

"Yes. If I become a Hunter with wealthy clientele I'll have access to black market information"

"But then you'll have to become the kind of Hunter you hate, are you sure you'll be able to swallow your pride when you need to?"

"The blow to my pride is nothing compared to my clan's suffering" Kurapika said with hard determination.

The mafia. If Kurapika wanted information about the black market, that's where he'll get it. If he's lucky, he might even get information about the Phantom Troupe. If there was anyone who knew anything about the underworld it was the mafia, but they weren't idiots. It could take months, even years after becoming a Hunter for him to delve that deep.

"Sorry, I don't have some big noble cause like you" Leorio spoke, bringing Ruka out of her thoughts. "The only thing I'm after is money"

He was lying. It was in his voice. If that were true he would've called it quits by now. No amount of money was worth this marathon. Even she knew that. Ruka's been around greedy people and Leorio wasn't even half like them.

"That's not true!" Kurapika objected. "Be honest, do you really believe money can buy everything?"

"Damn right! For the right price you could buy dreams, treasures, and even people's lives"

"Take that back, Leorio! I won't stand here and allow you to insult the Kurta!"

"Why? It's the true, isn't it? If I had money my friend would still be alive today!"

 _There it is_ she thought.

"Was he sick?" Kurapika asked quietly.

"Yeah, it was a curable disease. The problem was that the operation cost a fortune. I was naïve! I figured I could become a doctor and cure people with the same disease and tell their parents they owed me nothing. Not a damn thing! That was my dream!" he said bitterly. "What a joke, right? Turns out in order to become a doctor you already have to have a fucking ridiculous amount of it!"

Ruka smiled and tuned out, feeling guilty for eavesdropping. Well, good luck to them.

"Hey, what's wrong?" James asked curiously.

"Nothing" she replied. "Come on, we're almost with the group in front" she added, swiping the sweat from her forehead.

* * *

"The exit!" one applicant suddenly cheered.

"We're finally getting out of this dark hole!" another cried in relief.

Ruka blinked several times and squinted at the top. Sure enough there was a bright light shining through a circular exit. This was it. The end of the first phase. Her heart hammered excitedly in her chest. James smiled at her jubilantly and she returned it likewise, but they both faded as quickly as they came. Ruka bit the inside of her cheek, but it was too late because James was already dashing towards the exit.

"That hundred jenny's mine!" he told her triumphantly.

Ruka smirked as she arrived right on his heel. "Sorry, not today!" she said, gripping both his shoulders and jumped off them, launching herself ahead.

"Wha…Hey!" he protested.

She looked over her shoulder and grinned. Poor guy, he didn't know what he was getting himself into. Just when Ruka thought she'd be the first to reach the top, two short boys breezed right past her. One of them being a black spikey-haired boy in green with a fishing rod.

"Holy crap, he's still in the running" she murmured.

Gon, who was now twenty steps ahead of her, looked back and gave her a big cheesy grin. "Bye Ruka!" he laughed, making her speed towards him.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the first one to reach the top but at least she made it. The bright light blinded her and she had to blink several times before her eyes could adjust. When she saw Gon the edge of her mouth twitched upward in a sly grin. With the last bit of strength Ruka had in her legs, she lunged at her brother.

"Guess I'll have to buy you your dinner, but then you have to buy me—oof!"

Gon didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because Ruka had grabbed him out of nowhere, barrel-rolling several feet across the grass. They eventually came to a stop in a sitting position with Ruka having Gon in a headlock.

"Ow! Ruka, ow, that hurts!" Gon exclaimed.

"That's for calling me a grandma earlier, knucklehead. Say you're sorry!" she told him.

"Never" he protested, which made her start messing with his hair while still having him in a headlock. "Ow, hey! Alright, okay I'm sorry! I give up!" he shouted.

Ruka smiled victoriously and released him. Gon stuck his tongue at her and fixed his hair. She raised her head to see just where they were, but aside from the little structure she came through the dense fog hid everything around them. The silver-haired boy with the skateboard approached them, studying both curiously.

"Oh, Ruka, this is Killua. Killua, this is my big sister, Ruka" Gon introduced as he stood up.

"Yo" Killua said.

"Hey there" she greeted, feeling as though her legs would refuse to move entirely if she stood up too fast.

Her hamstrings burned something awful and she felt like her heart was trying to hammer its way out of her chest. Swiping the sweat from her forehead, she realized how flushed she must've looked. When she turned her attention to the top of the staircase James had just made it. He staggered onto the grass and slumped against the concrete wall. Ruka walked over and seated herself next to him.

"You owe me one hundred jenny" she smiled, holding out her hand.

James gave her a look. "You…cheated. You used me…as…leverage…to get ahead!" he panted accusingly. His cheeks was flushed pink.

"You never said that was against the rules, so I'm in the clear" she pointed out. James opened his mouth to counter, but came up with nothing. He groaned and dug around in his pocket before slapping a hundred jenny in her hand. "Oh, lighten up. It's only the first phase" she nudged, unzipping her backpack and took out her canteen of water. Ruka took several gulps, savoring the way it felt trickling down her throat. She sighed in content and offered it to James.

"Thanks. So…on a scale of one to ten, how out of shape do you think you are?" he questioned, pressing the canteen to his lips.

"Me? Out of shape? Please" she waved off, stretching out her left leg until the cramp was gone. "I could keep going" she said, earning herself a look which clearly said 'yeah, sure'.

"Well, that's good" Gon said, as he plopped down next to her. "I just talked to Mr. Satotz and he said we still have a ways to go before we get to the second phase"

" _What?_ " she screeched, and James sputtered. "You mean this isn't where the second phase starts?" she asked.

"Nope" Gon replied, popping the _p_. Killua came and sat down next to him.

She threw her head back against the wall and groaned. James gave her a smug look and held out his hand. Rolling her eyes, she begrudgingly handed back the hundred jenny as he returned her canteen. She took another sip before holding it out to Gon.

"Water?" she asked, to which Gon politely declined. She looked over at Killua. "What about you, kid?"

"No thanks" he said.

She screwed the cork back on and put it away, taking out the purple t-shirt she had on earlier. It was all wrinkled and wasn't as sweaty as before, but still, the spare one might come in handy later so decided not to wear it. She grimaced slightly as she pulled the shirt over her head.

Applicants arrived to the top in small groups, some staggered while others didn't seem remotely out of breath. The dense fog made it hard to count all of them, but there were definitely over two hundred. It didn't seem like many people dropped out. Several minutes went by until she heard a familiar wheezing. She didn't even turn to look at Leorio as he half-collapsed on the grass.

"I made it!" he gasped breathlessly, struggling to stand on his feet.

"Hey Leorio, you feeling okay?" Gon asked.

"Great, I'm just great" he replied. He was so out of breath Ruka couldn't decide if he was being sarcastic or not. He shakily stood on his legs and stretched his back.

"I still can't believe Leorio's a teenager" Gon murmured.

"Tch. Tell me about it" Killua agreed.

Ruka raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" she asked, leaning forward to look at them.

"Oh right, you weren't there. Apparently, Leorio's a teenager" Gon explained.

"You're kidding me, there's no way that guy's a teenager" James disputed.

"No really, he told us himself" he replied.

Ruka and James each had a quizzically look on their face. "Hey Leorio, how old are you?" Ruka called.

Leorio turned to them with a raised eyebrow. "Huh? Nineteen, why?"

She sat there, stunned. "Son of bitch, we're older than him" Ruka murmured, resting her elbow on her knee. "You need a new wardrobe, dude, seriously" she advised, pursing her lips as laughter threatened to escape her mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leorio demanded.

"Nothing" James said quickly, elbowing her in the ribs. Leorio turned away, muttering in annoyance. James covered his mouth, his eyes darting once towards Ruka as they both tried to stifle their snickering.

"Hey Kurapika!" Gon voiced as the blonde trotted up the steps.

"Hey," he said back. "Is this our destination?" he asked.

"Nope, not yet" he replied.

The blonde looked around at the open field. "Hm, I see" he said blankly. If he was disappointed at all he didn't show it. "Looks like the fog is lifting" he pointed out.

Sure enough, the fog was slowly clearing up to show that the field they were standing on was actually a hill. The wet earthy smell was what made Ruka stand up. Where were they exactly? The mist below gradually disappeared to reveal a thick green marsh that stretched for miles around them. It was so thick all she could see were the top of trees.

"These wetlands are known as Swindlers' Swamp. We must cross it to reach the second phase of the exam" Satotz explained. "This ecosystem is home to a number of bizarre and crafty animals who use deception to fool their prey, specifically humans. So please be careful, if you are deceived you'll most surely die"

Applicants gulped at his nonchalant warning. Ruka held her chin, studying Satotz from afar. He's obviously done this a number of times, most likely knowing every creature and their method of deceiving. He'd know the perfect route to take them through. Also, judging by his tone he was expecting people to get lost. They'd better stay close. Good thing they had time to relax for a bit, her limbs weren't aching anymore. But still, what if they did get lost?

The sound of creaking metal interrupted her thoughts and made everyone turn around. Metal shutters lowered from the little structure they came through. "Wait for me!" an applicant shouted as he stumbled to the top, but the shutters shut in his face.

"Well, better luck next year" James murmured.

"Don't underestimate these wetland creatures they will use every trick in the book to fool their prey" Satotz continued. "Hence the name 'Swindlers' Swamp'. So please follow me closely so you won't be deceived"

"Pfft. Is he messing with us? If we know they'll try and trick us, who'd fall for it?" Leorio scoffed.

"Don't fall for it!" someone shouted to her right, making her jump. Everyone turned to the person who spoke. A man with short dirty-blonde hair struggled forward. His face was covered in bruises. Ruka stepped back warily. "He's l-lying. That man's lying to you!" he shouted, pointing at Satotz and the crowd of people parted. "He's an impostor! He's not the real examiner, I am!" the injured man continued.

"Impostor? What's going on here?" Leorio said, looking between the two men.

"He's a fraud?"

"No way!"

"Then who is he?"

Everyone began to buzz as they looked anxiously from Satotz to the injured man. Satotz, however, seemed completely calm. Ruka would dare even say aloof, he didn't even flinch when the bruised man accused him.

"This isn't good. Everyone's on edge now" Kurapika said quietly.

"I can prove it to you, look at this!" the injured man said.

Ruka stepped protectively in front of Gon and James put a hand on his sword as the injured man dragged something out from behind him. He held up what seemed to resemble a monkey. The only difference was that it had Satotz's face, sharp teeth, and a long tongue lolling out of its mouth. It also seemed to be dead. Ruka stood there, stunned and the rest of the crowd roared. She looked from Satotz then back to the dirty blonde-haired man, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the latter.

"Wow, he looks just like Mr. Satotz!" Gon exclaimed, moving around her to get a better look.

"This is a Man-Faced Ape. One of the creatures that reside in Swindlers' Swamp"

"A what?" Leorio asked.

"A Man-Faced Ape" the man repeated. "They love the taste of human flesh, but their limbs are long and thin so they're actually quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans so they can trick us into following them in the wetlands. They work together with other creatures to kill and eat us. That what he wants to do! Deceive the entire applicant pool and feast on all of you!" he explained, then pointed an accusing finger at Satotz.

He still stood there calmly, not saying a word to his accuser. At this point people were already glaring at Satotz, ready to gang up on him.

"Bastard…" Leorio growled.

Ruka, however, didn't take her eyes off the dirty blonde-haired man or the dead monkey he threw in front of them. "You're lying" she stated quietly, stepping around so that she was standing in front of the bruised man with her arms crossed.

He blinked as if just noticing she was there. "Huh? I'm telling the truth! He's trying to kill and eat all of you! You gotta believe me!" he snapped.

"What if I say both of you are fakes?" she replied calmly, looking from Satotz then back to him.

Gon raised an eyebrow at her curiously. Where was she going with this? Few applicants turned their attention to her and began to murmur while the rest seemed convinced Satotz was an impostor. Ruka subconsciously knew she was making things worse, but sometimes the best way to find answers is when you're under pressure.

"You gave us proof Satotz is an impostor then you can prove you're the real examiner too" she stated. She could see perspiration starting to form on his hairline. Got him.

"They can't both be fakes" the bald man in the red scarf said. "This guy definitely doesn't walk like a normal human" he added, turning back to look at Satotz.

Majority of the applicants muttered in agreement. Ruka shook her head and didn't take her eyes off the bruised man who was trying to hide his smirk.

"If you're the real examiner then why—"

But Ruka didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as something _swished_ right by her ear. The man's smirk disappeared as three cards embedded themselves in his left shoulder, throat, and between his eyes. They were thrown with such force that he was thrown back several inches before hitting the ground, dead.

"Ruka!" James had shouted.

She heard him, but was in too much shock to tell him she was fine. Her eyes were wide and she felt like her heart dropped to her stomach. If she'd stepped even a little bit off to the right that could've been her.

The sound of shuffling made her turn. It was Hisoka. She was surprised to see that Satotz was also holding three cards between his fingers.

"I see, I see…" the magician chuckled as he stopped shuffling. "That settles it then, so you are the real one" he said, gazing at Satotz.

The examiner tossed aside the cards he was holding in what Ruka could only describe as annoyance.

"What the hell?" Ruka demanded and Hisoka's gaze fell on her. "You could've hit me" she snapped.

He chuckled again, turning his head to her. "Faster than arguing, don't you think? You wanted proof and I gave it. You should thank me" he said indifferently.

Ruka furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief. "What did you—?"

James grabbed her arm and pulled her back so harshly she actually flinched. "You wanna lose your arms too, moron?" he hissed.

She was about to snap at him when she remembered what happened to the man who simply bumped into him. He could do the same to her or worse if she started to get confrontational. As much as she wanted to retort, she bit her tongue. The magician held his gaze on her for a while longer and Ruka could've sworn she saw him smirk. She felt goosebumps form on her arm and unconsciously rubbed it.

"As I was saying…" he continued, turning back to the examiner.

"Thanks" she whispered, but it might as well have been an apology too.

James let go of her arm and crossed his own. "You're a fucking idiot" he replied. Which Ruka took as a 'you're welcome'.

"The examiners are Hunters. Each hand-picked by the Exam Committee to do this job without pay. Anyone who holds the title we are vying for ourselves could've deflected that attack, and quite easily I might add" Hisoka said.

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you" Satotz replied nonchalantly. "Still, should you attack me again for any reason I'll have no choice but to report you for attacking an examiner and have you immediately disqualified. Have I made myself clear?" he warned with narrowed eyes.

"Of course," Hisoka replied casually.

The sound of screeching made everyone turn to look at the body which was now being pecked and ripped apart by vultures. Ruka glanced briefly and grimaced.

"Nature can be so brutal. It's hard to watch" Leorio commented.

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape too" Kurapika added.

"He was trying to confuse the applicants and lure some of you away, these attempts are to be expected" Satotz explained as he walked through the parted crowd. "Please be aware you will encounter such deceptions on a regular basis. I assume many of you were fooled into suspecting my true identity" he continued.

Leorio and the man in the red scarf rubbed their necks awkwardly. Ruka crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, rolling her eyes. How could anyone fall for that? It was such an obvious trick it's almost embarrassing.

"Though still…" Satotz contemplated, turning his head. "Applicant three hundred and thirty-three"

It took a nudge from James for her to realize the examiner had announced her number. "Oh, yes sir?" she said, straightening up quickly.

He gazed at her interestedly with his hands folded behind his back. "I'm curious. You were able to see right through him almost immediately, care to explain how?" he asked.

"Er…" she faltered, taken aback.

All of a sudden Ruka felt three-hundred-and-something pair of eyes turn to stare at her, waiting. She did a lot of reading, that's how she knew. Although, she doubted he would be satisfied with such a vague answer. It was obvious he wanted her to be specific. The examiner really put her on the spot. She took a deep breath.

"Sure. Well, first of all…" she began, pointing her chin towards the dead impostor. "Man-Faced Apes are pack hunters. They hunt in twos and threes, kill their prey and take it back to their family which range between seven to twenty primates, if I remember right" Ruka explained, causing the examiner to raise an eyebrow. She pretended not to notice.

Several applicants gulped. Most likely the ones that believed Satotz to be the impostor.

"Given this information, if you were really a Man-Faced Ape you'd have someone with you. Like a second examiner or an assistant" she expressed, staring at Satotz. "If that were the case, I might've believed him for a second" she said, crossing her arms and stared at the vultures. "But those are just small details. Hypothetically, even if I didn't have this information I knew he wasn't who he said he was

"He spent most of the time accusing you rather than verifying he's the real examiner, and when I asked him to prove that he started to sweat. But more importantly, if he was really the examiner why wait for us up here? Wouldn't it be more logical to contact the Exam Committee and tell them there's an ape running around as examiner?" she reasoned. "If he had, they'd already be here waiting for us" she finished, turning her eyes back to Satotz.

A stunned silence hung over the crowd and many people stared at her in disbelief.

"Impressive. Very cleverly deduced" Satotz praised, as if she was a student who found the answer to a hard question.

Ruka blinked, once again taken aback. She turned her head away and rubbed her neck awkwardly, feeling the color rise in her cheeks. She wasn't used to being praised. Unless you counted drunk catcalls in a bar as praise.

"However, in the future I would advise you be more careful with your approach. If he could turn the majority against me, he could've done the same to you" he told her.

"Sure" she replied indifferently. An image of her bleeding on the ground with a card lodged in her jugular briefly flashed though her mind. She shook her head at the thought and walked back over to Gon. Out of the corner of her eye, James appeared on her right with a slight smile on his face.

"Scored a few points with the examiner. Nice" he nudged playfully.

"Oh please, an airhead should've been able to figure that out" she muttered back as Satotz started to address the crowd again.

"You figured all that out on the spot?" Leorio asked incredulously.

Ruka shrugged. "Kinda. Didn't you?" she answered offhandedly. Leorio looked away sheepishly.

"Teacher's pet…" Gon muttered under his breath, but Ruka heard him and pinched his ear.

"Wanna run that by me again, squirt?" she asked.

"Ow, nothing. I didn't say anything!" Gon winced and she quickly let go.

"So please be aware, if you lose sight of me once we enter the fog you have no hope of reaching the second phase of the exam" She heard Satotz say. No one in the crowd said anything. They were hanging onto every word. Satotz looked from his right then to his left. "Now then, please follow me" he instructed, pivoting and started to walk down the grassy hill.

Just like before, it started with walking then quickly turned into running. But everyone knew this wouldn't be like the tunnel and there was a newfound tension in the air.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 5.**

 **I had a lot of writer's block during this chapter so hopefully nothing's too choppy. Thank you for reading and please review!**


	6. Swindlers' Swamp (Part 1)

**Thank you to those who reviewed/favorited/followed!**

* * *

Chapter 6

"Now everyone, please be sure to follow close behind me" Satotz instructed as they entered the marsh. Three hundred and sixty-eight pairs of feet squelched through the muddy grass behind him.

"Tch. Great, another marathon" Leorio muttered sarcastically.

"Except this time we're in a swamp and running on wet ground requires a lot more energy" Kurapika said.

This muggy climate wasn't helping either. In the tunnel they had the luxury of cool air blowing around, but now they were running through a muddy field in damp humidity. It was a disgusting feeling to say the least. Ruka looked up at the sky as an ominous caw echoed above their heads. Applicants were warily turning their heads at every tree and bush they passed, expecting something to come out and grab them.

That was when she realized this was another mental exercise. They still didn't know how far or where they were running, but now they were in an environment where every creature was out to eat them. Everyone was paranoid. Given a couple hours, the paranoia could arguably drive someone to the point of insanity. Ruka smiled to herself. This was just another obstacle to test their mental strength; to see if they were capable of keeping a level-head under unfortunate circumstances. They didn't have to jump away from every plant nearby. Just be on their guard.

At some point the crowd of applicants separated into groups. There was the group running closest to Satotz, which consisted mostly of veteran examinees. Gon and Killua were with the group in the middle. Behind them was Hisoka and a group of men wearing similar blue uniforms. Leorio, Kurapika, James, and Ruka along with a few other applicants were behind them.

"Guys, here's our chance" one of the men in blue uniform whispered. His colleagues twitched their heads ever so slightly to look at him. "I say we take advantage of the fog and get rid of him!"

The men looked ahead at the red-haired magician and grunted compliantly.

Killua, who was running alongside Gon, glanced behind him. The tension behind him was thick and it was coming from that magician, Hisoka. He was slowly being surrounded by the men in blue uniform, a twisted smile appearing on his lips.

Someone was going to die.

"Gon, let's try and move up to the front" Killua said, facing forward again.

"Right, the last thing we want to do is lose sight of the examiner" Gon agreed.

"I just want to put a little more distance between Hisoka and us. Staying too close is dangerous; I can smell it" he explained quietly so they're not overheard.

Gon raised an eyebrow. "Smell, huh?" he said curiously, sniffing the air once. All he could smell was wet grass and bark. "Really? I don't think he smells" Gon said, then yelled over his shoulder. "Ruka, Leorio, Kurapika! Killua said we should all move up to the front of the pack!"

"Hey! Calm down, can't you feel the tension in the air?!" Killua hushed exasperatedly.

"You idiot! If I could reach the front I'd already be there!" Leorio shouted, kicking up mud with every long stride he took.

"Go ahead, we'll meet you there!" Kurapika assured.

"Aw…" Gon whined.

"Come on, let's go" Killua urged, surging forward.

"Hey, wait up!" Gon yelled after him.

* * *

Good. As long as Gon was with the group ahead he should be fine.

Those uniformed men were idiots. If they wanted to take out competition, fine; but they had to be more discreet about it. If she could hear them, so could others. There was a mixed tension in the air—

—but it wasn't coming from just the men in uniform or the magician. It felt like the fog was carrying it.

"The fog's getting thicker and thicker as we go" Kurapika voiced.

The trees were slowly becoming obscured by the haze. Ruka didn't really have a problem seeing in low visibility. Her eyesight's always been keener than others. But it wasn't the fog that made her uneasy.

"James?" she called.

"Over here" he spoke from her left.

"Do me a favor and run ahead" she told him. "And if you can, keep an eye Gon for me" she added.

"Going easy on me?" he chuckled.

"I'm serious" she uttered. His amused grin quickly disappeared when he saw the alarm in her eyes. "Run ahead. I'm right behind you"

He stared at her skeptically before nodding silently and sprinted ahead. She didn't know what it was exactly, but there was a tugging feeling in her gut that told her something was wrong. Like she was trespassing. Ruka watched as James disappeared into the fog. Actually, it looked like everyone was disappearing into it. The fog was getting thicker and thicker until she could barely see anything.

Something pink glowed over her head. Ruka's eyes shot up only for a quick second and her feet became tangled with something on the ground. She thrust her arms out in front of her as she began to fall. Her knees hit the mud with a soft splat and her hands landed on pointy, sharp branches. Ruka winced, shaking her hands until the pain finally disappeared.

At first it looked like a small mountain of twigs and leaves, but when she moved closer she saw it was a giant nest with eggs the size of beach balls.

The glowing pink butterflies moved closer and glittery pink dust fell from their wings. As she instinctively moved away, two applicants ran directly into it. They didn't make it three feet before collapsing on the ground. Seeing this made her clap her hands over her nose and mouth. It had to be some kind of hallucinogen or pheromone. Only the rarest creatures carried that kind of trait. They were extremely hard to find, particularly insects. Yet here they were hovering lazily above her. The pink dust itself had to be worth a bit of money. Rare things always are.

Damn it, she couldn't afford to be distracted right now! She had to get out of this fog and find the main group.

Before Ruka could run around the butterflies, the ground shook beneath her and the swarm of butterflies immediately scattered, disappearing into the haze. Whatever caused the ground to tremor scared them off. Looking back at the nest, she realized that her initial instinct had been right.

They _had_ been trespassing; directly through some creature's nesting ground! If there was one thing she knew about animals, it was to never go near their nests. And given the size of this one, she'd rather not run into the creature it belonged to.

At that moment, a loud scream cut through the air. The ground jolted another three times followed by more screams.

Hopefully James and Gon managed to get out of the fog. Her eyes darted in every direction, expecting something to lunge out at her. Ruka dropped her backpack on the ground and hastily unzipped it.

"Shit. Didn't think I'd have to use this so soon" she muttered.

* * *

Gon nervously looked over his shoulder. "I wonder what's happening. I can hear people screaming all around us" Gon said.

"That's why we need to keep moving" Killua replied as another scream echoed several yards behind them. The silver-haired boy didn't even flinch. After all, he was used to hearing terrorized screams. He couldn't even remember the last time they fazed him.

"I haven't seen the others in a while. I just hope they're okay" Gon said, but Killua kept his eyes forward.

Their feet pounded in the ground as they continued to run. The grass suddenly felt different, it was slimier. Killua must've noticed it too because he came to a stop and so did Gon.

"Huh?" they both murmured, puzzled.

The ground began to rumble and before they realized what was happening they were plunged into darkness. The boys yelled as the earth beneath crumbled, taking them with it and the sky disappeared as something clamped shut above them. Their nostrils were quickly filled with the smell of rotting carcass.

* * *

One applicant after another was being yanked off the ground by giant tortoises. Leorio and Kurapika stood frozen in place, wary of which direction to run. The enormous silhouettes appeared from every direction. It didn't take long for two of them to crane their long necks out from the haze and surround Kurapika and Leorio. They were cornered now.

Leorio picked up the closest thing he could use as a weapon, which happened to be a thick log about the size of his whole arm. He stood back to back with Kurapika, his eyes darted from one tortoise to the other.

Both of the reptiles roared and lunged at the same time. Kurapika swung his wooden sword as the one on the left charged at him and slashed its snout. The one on the right widened its mouth as it was about clamp down on Leorio. He quickly thrust the log out to avoid getting bit and managed to stick it in between its jaws. However, he didn't let go in time and the animal jerked its head back, taking him with it. The wood was threatening to snap under his fingers as the animal tried to bite down.

"Leorio!" Kurapika shouted as the tortoise flung him around like a ragdoll.

The blonde leaped as high as he could into the air with both swords drawn. He landed on top of the monster's head and stabbed both of his swords into its eye. The animal screeched in agony, causing the log and Leorio to fall onto the soggy grass. Kurapika jumped off the creature's head and landed gracefully several feet from Leorio.

"Come on, we have to move!" the blonde yelled.

Leorio's eyes suddenly widened. "Kurapika, watch out!"

The blonde turned his head and managed to duck with only inches to spare as a big brown tail swung at him with enough force to decapitate. The creature roared angrily, blood dripping from its snout. It bared its teeth and lunged at him again head on. He wouldn't be able to defend, it was coming too fast!

Then it jerked its head to the side and roared in pain. Kurapika was confused until he saw an arrow sticking in its eyelid. Then another shot out of nowhere and embedded itself into the animal's nostril.

"You guys alright?" Ruka shouted, running towards them.

She managed to get within three feet of them when the tortoise snarled again and this time charged at her. Kurapika watched as she, without hesitation, knelt down on one knee and thrust her left arm out which had a gauntlet crossbow attached to it. A third arrow shot towards the creature and took out its second eye. The tortoise flailed its head around and Ruka took the opportunity to help Leorio on his feet.

"Come on, follow me!" she commanded, not waiting for them to answer and ran around the giant monster. She narrowly avoided its stomping feet.

The two boys had to sprint in order to keep up with her. "Do you know which way to go?" Leorio hollered.

"Not really," she answered, but continued to run ahead.

"Slow down, there might be more of them hiding in the fog" Kurapika warned.

"They'll get tangled with the trees if they enter the forest. We should be fine" she assured.

Forest? They could barely see ten feet ahead of them in this haze, let alone anything that resembled a forest.

"Are you high? How can see anything in this fog?" Leorio asked.

"Let's just say my eyesight's better than a normal person's" she replied. Then they saw the tall black silhouettes of trees and the fog slowly started to disperse. Ruka leapt over a fallen tree branch.

"Hey, slow down, some of us can't run as fast you" Leorio said as he climbed over the thick branch.

Ruka looked over her shoulder and slowed to a stop. Kurapika put his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath as Leorio shakily sat down on the branch, panting equally as hard. He looked down at his hand, wincing as he pulled out a splinter.

"Dammit, that thing nearly ate me!" he complained.

"You don't use your eyes, do you? Didn't you see where we were standing?" Ruka panted, taking a big gulp of air.

Leorio raised an eyebrow and gave her an annoyed look. "What the hell was I supposed to be looking for in a dense fog?! Maybe you didn't notice, but we were being attacked by _two_ giant monsters!" he exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes. "We were running through their nesting ground. They only attacked because they thought you were trying to steal their eggs" she explained as though it was the most basic knowledge in the world. "Animals don't attack unless they're hungry or feel threatened, it's kind of the rule of the wild" she added simply.

"Gee, that makes me feel a whole lot better…" Leorio muttered sarcastically.

"You seem to be very well-informed about animals" Kurapika observed.

She looked at him and pursed her lips in a tight line. "Yeah, I guess you can say that…" she chuckled, but it wasn't a happy one and her voice sounded almost distant. For a moment, she seemed lost in her thoughts.

It didn't go unseen by Kurapika. When she nonchalantly turned away he was surprised to see a hint of sadness and anger in her eyes, but it vanished as quick as it came.

"Er…we should keep moving" Kurapika quickly said, silently wondering how he'd unintentionally offended her. Ruka was already scanning the area around them. "Did you happen to see which direction the frontrunners went?"

"No, the fog was too dense at that point"

Leorio stood up and stretched his back. "I thought you could see through dense fog?"

Ruka frowned at him. "I said my eyesight was _better_ , not perfect" she corrected, squinting through the trees. "Wait, do you hear that?" she said quietly.

"Hear what?" Leorio asked.

"Sh!"

"Hey, you asked!" he snapped indignantly.

Ruka didn't respond though. She cautiously crouched down on both knees and put her ear to the grass. Leorio grimaced.

"Hey, you shouldn't do that. Who knows what kind of bacteria's swarming around this place" he said, but Ruka sharply shushed him again. He grumbled irritably and turned away.

She stood up and pointed east. "I can hear some people running in that direction" she said, swiping the mud off her cheek.

They followed her finger and sure enough they saw fifteen, maybe twenty shadows running in a straight line a hundred feet away from them. Those applicants could've been just as lost as they were, but they didn't have time to debate about it.

"Alright, let's go!" Leorio cheered and Kurapika ran alongside him.

Just as Ruka was about to run too, little pink lights danced above her head. It was those pink butterflies again. There must've been an abundance of them in this swamp. Once again she found herself wondering just how much they could be worth...

"Hey Ruka, come on!" Leorio called.

"Right…" she said, then ran after them.

* * *

"Yuck!" Killua exclaimed as he landed in the frog vomit with a loud _splat_.

The smell of dead fish was replaced with the smell of wet earth and bark. Gon sat up, cleaned the slime out of his ears. The giant toad grimaced at the pale puddle, stepped over them and stomped off. Neither of them were fazed by the ordeal.

"I guess he must not have liked the way we tasted" Gon laughed, shaking his hair to get the slime out.

"It was this stuff" Killua said, holding up an orange can.

Gon raised an eyebrow and looked at the can. "Oh, that's the drink Tonpa had!" he replied. "Guess it saved us"

"Probably, but I could've escaped without it" Killua said, tossing the can aside.

"I'm still pretty worried about the others…" Gon said, looking behind him.

He continued to stare worriedly at the trees as if expecting them to appear any second. Killua cleaned off his shorts and frowned. They were almost digested by a giant toad and he was worried about other people? They were obviously slowing him down and worrying about them wasn't going to make them safe. Personally he didn't understand why Gon even cared about them. Killua thought the woman was particularly weird, especially the way they acted together.

"Forget about them, we need to keep moving. If we start right now we might be able to catch up with the examiner" Killua stated, sprinting off once again.

Gon stood up too but only followed for a few feet. A grim look etched on his face as he looked over his shoulder. Something was about to happen. Something bad.

* * *

"This isn't good. I think we lost sight of the other applicants" Kurapika said.

Leorio cursed under his breath. "Ruka, can you see any applicants ahead?" he asked, but the woman didn't answer. "Hey, Ruka!" he called again, this time looking over his shoulder and his eyes were quickly filled with alarm. "What the hell?! Where is she?"

Confused, Kurapika looked behind him too. Sure enough, the woman that'd been running behind them not ten minutes ago wasn't there.

"Where'd she go? She was running right behind us" Leorio exclaimed, baffled. "We have to look for her"

"We don't have time" the Kurta said.

Leorio widened his eyes. "How can you say that? She saved our asses back there!" he snapped.

"Exactly" Kurapika said coolly. "She's made it clear that she can handle herself in this environment. It's a hunch, but…I don't think she's in danger"

Leorio frowned. "So she'd ditch us to do what, exactly?" he questioned.

"I don't know" Kurapika admitted. He didn't know the woman long so he couldn't exactly say he wholeheartedly trusted her. Even if she did help them get away from the giant monsters and back on track (for a while anyway).

His thoughts were interrupted when Leorio skidded to a halt and thrust his arm out in front of him. "Hold on!" he hissed. "Look over there," he whispered quietly, pointing to the foggy clearing to their left.

Kurapika followed his finger just past the thick shrub to see…Hisoka.

But he wasn't alone. The red-haired magician was surrounded by men in blue uniforms, each one holding a different type of weapon. They were the same men that were running in front of them before they were attacked by those giant reptiles.

What was going on?

Both of them stood there as quietly as possible, not daring to even breathe. Afraid the smallest twitch might alert them of their presence.

"You're not Hunter material, I've been thinking that ever since we met last year" one of the men said. He was buff and had dark hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail and was also the only one not holding a weapon. He must've been the leader.

"We'll spare your life if you promise you'll never take the Hunter Exam again" the taller dark-skinned man threatened.

"Sure, why not? I intend to pass, so there's no need to retake it" Hisoka said.

The uniformed men glared and muttered furiously.

"You idiot, look at this fog! Do you really think you can figure out which way the main pack went in all of this?" the leader retorted.

"He's right, we all failed this year. There's no way we can catch up with everyone else!" another agreed.

The magician's mouth twisted into a smirk and he chuckled darkly. "So that's it, you failed and now you want to play examiner?" he said.

He was so calm it sounded more like he was trying to make conversation. Which begged the question, why _was_ he so calm? Sure, they saw what happened if anyone crossed him but he was outnumbered ten to one. Yet, Hisoka was as cool as a cucumber.

"Hunters require prey, so why don't I play the examiner?" the magician continued, his fingers twitched ever so slightly and a card appeared between them. "All you gentleman claim to be Hunter material, but I'll be the judge…" he said, holding up the four of spades. His narrow eyes didn't blink once.

The man with the low ponytail clenched his teeth. "You shut the hell up!" he roared and in the next moment all the men surrounding Hisoka lunged at him.

Kurapika and Leorio weren't exactly sure what happened next. One moment Hisoka's arm blurred at an impossible speed and in the next all the men were bleeding on the ground with fresh wounds on their chest and neck. Some gurgled for a few seconds before falling completely silent like the others.

All the color drained from the leader's face and his eyes widened in horror as he looked from his dead soldiers then back at the magician. Even from where Leorio and Kurapika stood they could hear his shaky breath as Hisoka slowly turned towards him.

"Now, then…" he drawled.

The man collapsed on his hands and knees, trembling and whimpering. He started to crawl away on all fours as Hisoka impassively sauntered towards him.

"H-help…help me…!" the man whimpered as he continued to crawl away.

His pleas for help were quickly silenced as Hisoka sharply cut his hand through the air and the card embedded itself in the back of the man's skull. The fear was still etched on his face when he fell face down into the mud. Dead.

Leorio and Kurapika stood there watching in horror as the scene played out in front of them, their mouths hanging open. Hisoka reached down and pulled out his card; blood sputtered from the wound as he did so.

"Well?" he said, his cold eyes falling on them.

Both boys inhaled sharply. They were so overcome with shock that they didn't notice the fog had melted away, making them completely visible to the psychotic magician.

"What about you two? Care to play examiner...?"

* * *

 **So there's a bit of chaos in this chapter. Gon and the gang are separated, James is god-knows-where, Ruka's M.I.A.**

 **Anyway, this is obviously just part one of Swindlers' Swamp shenanigans. I hope none of the characters are too OOC, sometimes I'm bad at keeping them in character. Also I was thinking about mixing in a few parts/ideas from the 1999 anime, what do you guys think?**

 **I was having a lot of writer's block with this chapter. So I hope nothing seems too rushed or choppy. If I find any spelling/grammar mistakes I'll go back and fix them when I get the chance** **:)**

 **Your reviews give me motivation ;)**


	7. Swindlers' Swamp (Part 2)

**Sorry about the delay!**

* * *

Chapter 7

"Gotcha!" Ruka whispered triumphantly, slamming the jar over the fluttering pink butterfly.

She sealed the top and stared at the bottom of the container, watching as the layer of pink dust began to grow. Once she decided there was enough, she unscrewed the lid again and let the butterfly go, covering her mouth and nose as she did so until the butterfly disappeared into the trees. Ruka stuffed the jar at the bottom of her backpack. It was definitely worth a million jenny if not more.

She was about to continue running to find the second exam site when she felt a strong shiver go down her spine. _Danger_ was the first thought that entered her mind. Her head turned in several directions, her senses going into overdrive. She knew what that shiver meant.

Bloodlust.

It wasn't much. In fact, it was masked very well. Well enough to where if she'd kept running she never would've detected it. But there was a certain scent that made her stop again and look back. It was the familiar, deep, earthy smell. The smell of home. She spun around in the direction it was coming from, her eyes widening.

"Gon…" she whispered in dread.

* * *

Killua squinted through the fog and came to a halt when he saw the long line of silhouettes running just ahead of him. Heck, he could even make out the guy that was with Gon's weird sister. A small triumphant laugh escaped his mouth.

"Alright! We caught up with the main group. Gon, look" he said, looking over his shoulder. A solid minute passed by, but Gon never showed up. "That's weird…he was right behind me a minute ago" he said aloud, frowning.

He shrugged and ran to catch up with the main group, positive that Gon would show up later.

* * *

Beads of sweat dripped from Leorio's chin as he tried not to flinch at the sound of crunching grass with every closer step Hisoka took. Kurapika stood there with his hands clenched and watched anxiously as the unblinking magician sauntered towards them, trying to think of a plan.

"Okay Leorio, wait for my signal and then we run in opposite directions" he whispered under his breath.

"Wait, what?" he hissed.

"He's obviously far more experienced in actual combat situations. The two of us won't stand a chance against him. We're short on time and we can't afford to waste more on a fight we can't even win" Kurapika pressed.

Leorio looked back at the bodies scattered across the open field, clenching his teeth. No, there had to be a way. He couldn't just turn his back! He heard Kurapika let out a shaky breath as a card appeared between Hisoka's fingers. Leorio swallowed, waiting for Kurapika's signal.

The magician stopped and was about to raise the hand that held the card.

"Now, run!" Kurapika shouted.

The two of them took off running in opposite directions, mud splashing behind them with every step. Hisoka's eyes darted from one applicant to the other, but didn't make any effort to chase after them. The ends of his mouth twitched upward.

"I see, a wise decision" he smirked. The magician pressed a knuckle to his lips, chuckling darkly. He watched as all the little animals that came out to prey on the corpses scurried away into the bushes in fear. "Hm?" he mused, watching a tall dark silhouette approach him. It was the one with the necktie and he had a long branch in his hand. His smirk grew.

"I just couldn't do it" Leorio said, stopping several feet away. "This might not be my fight but I can't just sit by and pretend nothing happened, that's not my style. See, the thing is I can't run away!" he declared, with hard determined eyes and lunged towards him with the branch.

Hisoka didn't flinch. He stood there as Leorio ran closer and closer. "Hmm, I adore that look" he drawled.

Leorio swung the branch downward only to have it go right through the magician, who turned into a cloud of smoke. Leorio's look of determination turned into one of shock and confusion. The momentum of the swing caused him to fall with it.

The magician had appeared behind him, stretching his long, pale fingers towards his head.

 _Snap!_

Hisoka's head snapped to the side as a bright red ball hit him squarely in the temple. Leorio hastily crawled out of range of the magician and his eyes followed the wire that was attached to the red ball.

"Gon!"

"Did I make it?" the young boy huffed, glaring at Hisoka.

Hisoka cracked his neck and turned to stare at him. "Not bad, little boy" he smiled, turning his back to Leorio. "Is that a fishing pole? How original" he said, slowly walking towards him. "I'd like to see it, do you mind?" he asked, outstretching his long pale fingers.

Gon clutched the fishing rod tightly as if it was his lifeline.

"Leave him alone. Your fight's with me!" Leorio shouted, running at the magician from behind.

But Hisoka was ready for him. He barely had to turn his head to punch Leorio square in the jaw and send him spinning through the air. He landed in the grass with a soft _thump_ , unconscious. Hisoka was about to turn back to Gon when an arrow shot out from the nearest bush towards the back of his head. He was too quick though and caught it between his fingers inches before it could hit. He raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder.

Gon jumped into the air and swung the rod down. For a moment it looked like it was going to connect with his head, but it cut clean through and Hisoka was replaced with wisps of smoke. Gon's eyes widened in surprise, but before gravity could pull his body down, the breath was knocked out of his chest as a flash of black and purple collided into him.

They barrel-rolled across the muddy field and Gon found himself dizzily staring at the sky. He shook his head and sat up, seeing Ruka crouched in front of him like a tiger protecting its cub. One arm holding him behind her and the other fist buried firmly in the dirt.

"Big sis?" he said in confusion.

She swiveled her head around and for the first time Gon saw alarm in her eyes.

Ruka tightly put both hands on his shoulders "Run. Run!" she commanded urgently, turning him around and pushed him towards the trees.

She turned back towards the open field, taking in the scene. Ignoring the bodies of the men in uniform, she ran towards Leorio and pressed a finger to his throat; sighing in relief when she found a pulse.

"Nfufu~"

Ruka jumped away as wisps of pink smoke started to gather around her. Not five seconds later, Hisoka was standing several feet away with his hand on his hip. She stood there in a crouched position, waiting for him to make a move but he only stood there, surveying her with a smile.

"You seem familiar. Have we met?" he asked curiously, pressing a finger to his chin.

"No, we haven't" she snapped sharply, watching as he picked up the arrow she shot at him earlier.

"So cold…" he mused, twirling her arrow nonchalantly. "Your Zetsu was impressive by the way. But if you're going to attack me, I suggest being a bit more creative"

She didn't respond and narrowed her eyes. If he wasn't going to make a move then she would. Ruka glanced down at her hand to see five long blade rings appear on her fingers which were connected by a chain to a bangle clamped on her forearm. This was her chance. She sprinted towards him and threw her arm out in front of her. The blade on her middle finger shot out like a bullet towards his head, but he simply cocked it to one side and the blade embedded itself into the tree behind him.

"Hmm. I see…" he said interestedly, staring at the long chain that hung over his shoulder. "So you're a Conjurer"

Ruka didn't reply and pulled her arm back, the blade flawlessly retracted itself back on her finger as if it had a mind of its own. She ran at him again, her eyes hard. Hisoka's smirked, his posture changing into a crouch. He was ready to lunge at her the same time she was going to punch. But she wasn't so obvious.

She jumped into the air mere inches before she reached him. Not having time to enjoy the surprised look on Hisoka's face, she thrust her hand out again and this time all five blades launched at him. With her eyes fixated on him, Ruka didn't miss the look of delight on the magician's face as the blades rained down on him.

Her blades pierced through nothing but a cloud of smoke. Ruka's eyed widened as she grabbed onto a branch when gravity started to pull her down. _No! I had him!_ She thought.

Ruka stayed crouched on the tree, waiting for him to appear again. But he didn't.

She knew Hisoka was waiting for her move. He might've been fast, but so was she. Ruka jumped down and landed on all fours, waiting. Pink and white wisps of smoke were coming from all directions. Her heart hammered against her chest, but she didn't run this time.

An odd prickle crawled up the right side of her neck. He was on her right! Ruka spun around just in time to see a fist flying towards her chin. It made contact, but she moved away just in time so she didn't feel the full force of it.

"That was much better. You almost had me" Hisoka said as he approached her. She pressed her fist to her chin and glared. "That's a very nice look" he smiled.

He suddenly materialized in front of her and his boot was heading right for her torso. Eyes wide, her arms flew up to block it only centimeters before it made contact, but it did little good. She was slammed into a tree, her head and back taking most of the impact. She slumped on the ground, clutching her head and muffling her groans of pain. If she hadn't been using Nen, her bones would be splinters.

Hisoka watched with a raised eyebrow as she struggled to stand up. Did she still think she could fight him after suffering a blow like that? He didn't know if he found her interesting or not. He supposed that remained to be tested.

Smiling, he picked her up by the shirt and held her neck against the dented tree trunk. Her fingers curled around his wrist, trying to pull his hand away. It was obvious her eyes were still struggling to focus and his fingers around her neck were only making it worse. Yet, he loved how quickly her angry expression turned into one of alarm when a card appeared between his fingers.

"Ruka!"

Hm, seems the boy was back. Hisoka smirked.

Gon swung his fishing rod and the red ball flew towards Hisoka's head. He expected to hear a loud crack, but the rod sailed right through him. Ruka slumped on the ground as the magician released her. She breathed heavily as her eyes slowly began to focus again. Gon was sprinting towards his sister when the clown appeared between them.

"Did you come back to help your friends?" he asked. Gon jumped back several feet, skidding on the slippery ground but Hisoka managed to appear behind him and murmur "Such a good boy…" Gon spun his rod behind him, but Hisoka turned into smoke again. "I adore that look" he said, appearing in front of the boy

With every step he took forward, Gon jumped back and swung his fishing rod at him. Hisoka simply evaded the red ball by tilting his head away.

"Well done. Very nice…" he murmured nonchalantly as the red ball sailed past his head again and a wide smile appeared on his face. "I'm beginning to get excited"

Gon's eyes flashed as an idea came to him and he swung the fishing rod downwards this time. The red ball splashed the mud in front of Hisoka's feet and while his attention was temporarily on the loose earth in front of him, Gon appeared from behind, shouting as he swung down his fishing rod.

It was the gagging noise that made Ruka's head snap up. She watched in horror as Gon's small legs flailed several feet above the ground, Hisoka holding him by his throat.

" _NO!_ " she screamed. Red clouded her vision, she didn't know what she planned to do but in the next moment she was lunging towards the magician. Hisoka didn't turn to face her but she felt his fist bury in her gut all the same. Ruka's eyes widened as the pain coursed through her whole body; she couldn't even cry out it was so painful. She felt like she was going to cough up a lung as a hard cough escaped her mouth and she slumped in a fetal position at Hisoka's feet, clutching her stomach.

"I love that look" the magician said as Gon's face contorted in a glare. Taking his eyes off the boy when he felt a tug at his boots; he looked down to see the young woman, still trembling in pain and glaring up at him. "Hmm. You don't quit, do you?" he smirked, pulling his foot away and pressing it on her neck. She struggled to fight him off and a delightful shiver passed through him. She wasn't very interesting, but her perseverance was something to be admired.

Hisoka turned back to the boy, feeling him go limp in his hand. His ecstatic expression became an alarmed one and he let them both go.

Ruka rolled over, massaging her neck and gasping for air. Gon fell on his hands and knees, coughing.

Hisoka crouched down in front of him, paying no mind to the woman. "Don't worry…" he drawled as Gon looked up to him questioningly. "I haven't killed your friends, they're going to be just fine" he reassured. "And that's because they passed" he chuckled. "And yes, you passed as well. Now go and become a good Hunter"

The chirping sound of a walkie-talkie made her head spin around. Consciousness still threatening to leave her if her body didn't rejuvenate oxygen.

"Hisoka, you should get back here. We've almost reached the site of the second phase" a garbled voice spoke.

"Okay, be right there" Hisoka replied almost boringly and stood up, walking over to Leorio and threw him over his shoulder. "Can you find your own way back?" he asked.

Gon nodded stiffly and Ruka took the chance to crawl closer to him protectively.

"Good boy," Hisoka grinned and disappeared into the fog with Leorio on his shoulder.

"G-Gon" she coughed, shaking his shoulder. "Gon, look at me. Baby, look at me, are you hurt?" she asked worriedly, holding his face in her hands and turned him to her.

His breath was coming out in short shudders, but he managed to shake his head. Ruka's lower lip trembled as she pulled him in her chest tightly and swallowed back the sob the threatened to leave her mouth.

She could've lost him.

She _almost_ lost him!

The image of Gon struggling to breathe was still fresh in her mind and she tightened her arms around him. In that moment, she felt more like a mother than she did a sister.

"Gon! Ruka! Are you guys alright?!" Kurapika yelled out.

They both turned their heads to see the blonde boy sprinting across the clearing. Gon pulled away from her and stood up, pressing a hand to his chest. He gulped and stood there until his breathing was normal again. Ruka stood up too and brushed the mud off her pants. Kurapika glanced briefly at Gon and then turned to Ruka.

"Where were you?" he questioned.

"Where was I? I was here trying to fight off Hisoka" she replied, massaging her neck.

"I meant before. One minute you were running behind me and Leorio and then you were gone"

Ruka blinked and stared at Kurapika as he waited for her to answer. "Oh, guess I was separated" she said, not meeting his eye.

Before Kurapika could ask, Gon shouted for them to follow.

* * *

"This way!" Gon shouted, sharply turning right.

"So you can really tell by the scent?" Kurapika asked in amazement.

"Yeah, Leorio's always wearing this unique cologne"

Kurapika's eyes widened in amazement and the edge of Ruka's mouth twitched upward. The blonde boy turned to look at her.

"Has he always been…well, like a bloodhound?" he whispered curiously.

Ruka shrugged her shoulders. "As far as I remember he's always been that way. But it looks like his sense of smell's gotten keener since the last time I saw him" she explained.

"Hey, you guys?" Gon called curiously. "What do you think Hisoka meant when he said that we all passed?"

The question slightly threw her off guard and she turned her head away before replying "I have a hunch, but I hope I'm wrong"

Kurapika lowered his head as he tried to think. "If I had to guess, I'd say he was playing judge" he said.

Gon glanced at him. "Judge?" he asked curiously.

The blonde boy nodded. "He must have his own benchmarks for evaluating a person's power, it's possible he was measuring the strength of each applicant. Apparently, you three met his standards, whatever those are"

Ruka felt like her heart dropped to her stomach. That was exactly what her hunch was telling her. They were nothing more than test subjects for him and she played right into it just to get Gon out of harm's way.

"That makes sense, but I was powerless to do anything to stop him" Gon said.

"You landed your first hit on him though, right?" Kurapika pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's only because I surprised him. Besides, Leorio and Ruka didn't win their fight against him, but he passed them anyway"

"He could've sensed that the three of you were kindred spirits" Kurapika voiced.

Gon stared at him out of the corner of his eye. "He sensed it?"

"It's possible that Hisoka could qualify as a Hunter, but I doubt it. However, I have to admit I was impressed by his superhuman agility and the gracefulness of his technique. Those who are gifted with unique talents are often drawn to others who have unique gifts of their own" the blonde boy explained.

Ruka could attest to the latter, there's certainly an attraction that draws unique people to each other. But it was the former she disagreed with; while his gracefulness and technique can leave people in awe, it didn't change what kind of man he was. She's seen Hisoka fight and whatever Kurapika saw, or thought he'd seen, was nothing compared to what he was really capable of. He was a freak.

The scariest part was that when Ruka was fighting him in the field, she _knew_ he was holding back. And she still couldn't beat him.

"So, from his perspective, killing you three now would be a waste" Kurapika finished. Neither of them said anything and he backtracked. "Oh, sorry, that must sound horrible"

Before Ruka could reply, Gon shook his head and said "To be honest, it was a little exciting back there" he admitted.

"What?" Ruka asked, bewildered.

"Huh?" Kurapika said at the same time.

"I was so scared, all I wanted to do was run away, but I couldn't because I was excited at the same time. Isn't that weird?" Gon asked cheerfully.

Kurapika smiled but Ruka only sighed sympathetically, running a little faster so she was alongside him. "Sweetie, that's not excitement. That's called an adrenaline rush" she explained softly.

Gon looked up at her. "Whatever it was, it felt great" he smiled.

She sighed again. Sometimes he really was too naïve for his own good, but right now wasn't the time to talk about it. Up ahead she could see the group of applicants standing outside a big gate. Looks like they finally reached Phase Two.

* * *

 **End of Chapter 7.**

 **I would really appreciate it if you guys reviewed! It really does motivate me to write more and not give up on a fic :)**


	8. Soups and Stews

**I didn't forget about you guys, I swear! Thanks for the reviews/faves/follows!**

* * *

Chapter 8:

The applicants were all standing outside a massive gate. Kurapika, Gon and Ruka slowed to jog as they reached the group, just barely making it in time. The rest of the applicants were either sitting on the grass or leaning against a tree, panting like a bunch of sweaty dogs.

"Looks like we made it in time" Ruka said.

"Yeah, but where's Leorio?" Gon wondered. He scanned the crowd and then gasped. "Over there!" he said, running towards the back and then followed.

Sure enough, Leorio was sitting under a tree looking dazed and confused. His right cheek was completely swollen and didn't look like it was going to get better anytime soon. Gon placed the briefcase next to him.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"You alright?" Ruka asked, kneeling down in front of him.

"I guess," he replied uncertainly, rubbing his cheek. "Man, that stings. How the hell did I get beat up this badly?"

The three of them blinked in surprise. He didn't remember anything?

"My memory's so hazy…I don't remember anything" he admitted.

Kurapika knelt down behind her as Gon leaned in closer. "Maybe we shouldn't tell him what happened" Kurapika whispered.

"Right" Gon agreed.

"Agreed," Ruka said as she stood up.

"Gon!"

He turned around to see Killua walking towards them with his skateboard tucked under his arm. Behind him, Ruka saw a familiar blue-haired young man waving at her.

"Hey, I'll catch up with you guys later" she told them, then ruffled Gon's hair. "Stay out of trouble, okay, squirt? Hey Killua," she greeted as she passed him.

James met her halfway as she walked towards him. Beads of sweat still clung to his hairline. "Took you long enough" he said, swiping his forehead. "For a minute I thought you were out of the game for good"

"Oh please, you're not getting rid of me that easily" she told him.

"I counted all the applicants left, so with you here that makes a hundred and forty-eight left" he said.

Ruka raised an eyebrow as she took her canteen out of her backpack. "You counted up all the applicants? Wow, you must've been really bored without me" she teased, taking a long sip of water.

He gave her a look. "Yeah, don't flatter yourself" he replied, taking the canteen from her hand and taking a drink himself. "Where were you, anyway?" he added.

"It's a long story" she replied, subconsciously running her hand along her side, flinching when she felt pain just from her own touch.

James put his hands on his hips and smirked. "So…" he said smugly.

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So?" she asked.

He smirked even more and leaned closer to her face. "I got here first, looks like someone owes me a hundred jenny"

Her eyes widened. "Oh c'mon, I got lost in the forest!" she objected.

"Hey, you're the one who agreed to this deal" he told her, holding out his hand.

She opened her mouth to protest, but realized he was right. Groaning, she reluctantly slapped the hundred jenny in his hand. "I'll win it back" she promised.

"Excellent work everyone!" Satotz announced over the crowd and everyone immediately quieted down. "The exam's second phase will begin here in Bisca Forest Park, so I shall now take my leave. I wish you all the very best of luck"

With that, Satotz took long strides down the dirt path and disappeared through the trees. The gate in front of them creaked loudly as it finally opened.

"Would all the applicants who passed the first phase, please enter!" a feminine voice called.

Ruka took a deep breath and followed the horde as they warily stepped inside. The first phase was definitely hard, but it was only going to get harder from there. When they entered the courtyard they saw that it was lined with cooking pits, stoves, and countertops. Ruka raised an eyebrow and glanced at James who had the same look on his face. There was only one thing a person can do with all this equipment.

Turning forward again, they saw a young woman on the porch and lounging on a couch. She was tan with her hair tied up in five topknots all around her head. She was wearing a black bra under a mesh crop top and denim shorts.

Behind her was a man who was as wide as he was tall. He had short brown hair and was wearing a yellow shirt that was clearly too short for him with green pants.

"Welcome all, I'm Menchi" the woman greeted. "Your examiner for the second phase"

"And likewise, I'm Buhara" the man behind her said.

No one said a word and suddenly there was a loud noise. At first Ruka thought it was the gate creaking behind them again, but the noise was coming from in front of her, not behind. When Buhara put his hands over his stomach, she knew exactly where it was coming from.

"Hey, what's that noise?"

"Did you hear that?"

Several applicants began to murmur. Menchi looked over her shoulder at the big man behind her.

"Sounds to me like you're getting hungry"

"Not just hungry, I'm famished" he moaned.

Menchi stood up and faced the crowd with her hands on her hips. "Well, there you have it. The exam's second phase…"

No one said a word and anxiously waited for her to finish.

"Will be cooking!" she announced proudly.

Among the several 'huhs?' Ruka was probably the few—if not the only—one that groaned. She'd been right…

"What do you mean we're cooking?" the wrestler named Todo asked. "We came here to take the Hunter Exam!" he added, and there were many confused murmurs of agreement.

Ruka couldn't say she blamed them. After so many grueling hours of running and surviving, they came to this? Cooking? There was something incredibly odd about this picture. If Menchi hadn't announced that this was the second phase, she would've been sure they walked into the wrong exam.

"That's right!" Menchi continued, "The second phase of the exam will be preparing a meal that'll satisfy our palates"

"Why do we have to cook?" another applicant questioned.

"Don't you know? It's simple really," she said matter-of-factly. "Because we're Gourmet Hunters!"

Ruka coughed, it was the only way she could hide her laugh. Todo was the first to brazenly laugh out loud and suddenly all the applicants followed suit.

"Oh come on, you know it's funny" she snickered when James elbowed her in the side.

"You really want that Hunter's license? _She's_ the one standing in the way of it" he said, cocking his head towards Menchi. "Don't get cocky" he sang mockingly, repeating the words she said to him at the start of the first phase.

Ruka stopped and narrowed her eyes at him. _Touché_ she thought grumpily.

He was right though, and Menchi looked particularly annoyed by all the laughter.

When the laughter eventually died down it was Todo who spoke up first again. "Alright, so you're Gourmet Hunters. And what exactly would you like us to make?"

Clear disdain was written all over Menchi's face as she waved to her associate. "Buhara…"

The enormous man behind her stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Today's required ingredient will be pork!" he declared.

"Pork? You mean like pig meat?" Imori asked in a shout.

Ruka rolled her eyes. "Unless you know another animal that can be called pork" she retorted, causing the boy to give her a glare. "Dumbass" she added under her breath.

"Feel free to use meat from any species of pig in Bisca Forest" Buhara continued. "As you see, you'll be using these facilities to prep your pork dishes. To pass the exam, you must create a dish to satisfy our discriminating palates" he explained.

"But we won't be evaluating tastes alone. So take this seriously" Menchi added. "When we've both eaten our fill this portion of the exam will be over"

"Alright, enough talk. Let's just get this over with" Todo said, waving his hand.

"Then let the exam's second phase—" Buhara hit his stomach and it made a noise similar to a gong. "—Begin!"

Everyone quickly scrambled towards the forest just outside the gate. James and Ruka set their bags down at one of the stations, but didn't make an effort to run like the rest of the applicants.

Ruka sighed. "You know, I'm sure there's more to this phase than they're letting on, but I'm still disappointed" she said as they exited through the gate.

James shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't mind"

She gave him a look. "Of course you don't. This phase is right up your alley"

His mouth slowly turned into a smirk. "Heh. Who would've thought all those years of cooking would pay off" he said determinedly.

Ruka shook her head and laughed, quietly wondering if this could technically be considered cheating. The applicants were already spread out across a clearing, looking behind trees and in between bushes. They decided to search a little deeper into the forest.

"I wonder where Gon wandered off to" Ruka said as James crouched on the ground to look at what seemed to be a set of footprints.

"He's probably with Kurapika and…what's the other guy's name again? Oreo?"

"Leorio" she reminded.

"Right," he said, rubbing dirt between his fingers and looked back at the set of tracks. "These aren't pig tracks, probably a deer. Let's go back"

"Pft. I could've told you that in my sleep"

"Then why don't you try finding these pigs, oh genius one?" James said sarcastically.

* * *

"Anything?" James dragged, leaning against a tree.

Ruka crawled away from the mess of bushes that were the size of a house. "Nope" she sighed, brushing several twigs off her sleeves. They both decided to head back towards the clearing where the other applicants were searching aimlessly. "Let's try the trees again" she suggested.

"So much for your tracking skills" James muttered.

"They're still better than yours" she teased.

He stuck his tongue out at her and she couldn't help but chuckle. It was like a five-year-old was stuck inside that body. Ruka rubbed some dirt in her hands as James took out his binoculars and scanned the area ahead.

"Maybe we should go deeper in. What do you think?" he asked as she was about to head back inside the forest.

Ruka quickly stopped and raised a finger in silence. "Hang on. Can you hear that?" she asked suddenly.

"Hear what?" he asked as she knelt down on the grass and pressed her hand to the ground. Curious, he crouched down next to her and did the same. It was faint, but he felt vibration under his palm as if something was stampeding across the earth. They looked back towards the hill where they saw Gon, Leorio, Killua, and Kurapika run down the slope and maybe twenty feet behind them, a cloud of white smoke followed.

"Ruka! Ruka!" Gon shouted, waving his arm.

Without saying anything, Ruka stood up and jogged towards them. "What did you do?!" she demanded.

He didn't have time to reply and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along. Several applicants raised their head in confusion which quickly turned to horror and began to run too. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw pigs scatter away from the herd and attack the examinees.

"I see you found the pigs!" Ruka shouted sarcastically.

"Yeah, and they're insane!" Leorio exclaimed.

Gon suddenly disappeared from Ruka's peripherals. "Gon? Gon!" she shouted as she saw more pigs split off from the herd.

"Keep going, I'll be okay!" he hollered

"We need to split the herd!" Kurapika yelled. "Everyone, run in different directions on the count of three!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Leorio shouted back.

"One…two…three!"

None of them wasted a second and split off. Ruka used all the muscles in legs to run towards the nearest tree. With one firm jump her foot planted on the trunk once and then twice before using the branch above her head to pull herself up.

Ruka took a second to catch her breath before looking down to see just how big the pigs were. They were huge to say the least, with even bigger snouts! She couldn't completely tell, but it looked like there was bone stuck in its teeth.

"Well, at least we found the pigs"

She looked over to see James balancing in the tree next to her. Two pigs were scratching and squealing up at them.

"So, any ideas?" James shouted over.

"Don't distract me, I'm thinking. Whoa!" she exclaimed as the pig rammed it's snout into the tree, making it shake. Ruka grabbed onto the branch above her head before she lost her balance. Okay, she had to assess the situation. The pigs had to have a weak point, everything did.

Long time ago, she remembered reading a book about animals who commonly used different survival techniques. She vaguely remembered a chapter about how animals adapt to their environment. Whether its mimicry, camouflage or even other physical modifications, animals always adapted. The strength of a tortoise's shell depended on the climate it lived in. If snakes lived their whole lives in dark caves, they'd eventually become blind because they no longer have use for their eyes.

And these pigs had abnormally large snouts, so it had to be protecting some kind of weak point. And the only weak point possible was…

"The forehead!" she shouted.

"What?"

"The forehead! It has to be the weak point" she replied confidently.

James stared down at the giant animal skeptically before grabbing his bow and arrow out of his quiver and lining it up with the pig's forehead. There was a moment's pause as he let go of the arrow and it pierced the animal's forehead. It squealed in agony before falling on its side, dead. James blinked in surprise before turning to look at Ruka.

 _Knew it,_ she thought with a smile as she adjusted an arrow on her gauntlet crossbow and shot it at the pig's forehead. The animal wailed in pain but after a few seconds fell dead on its side. Ruka jumped down, landing deftly on her feet.

"Good guess" James said as he managed to hoist the pig on his shoulder.

"It wasn't really a guess. Pretty obvious once you get a good look at them" she replied simply. James gave her a look as she began to roll her pig across the field. "Animals always adapt to survive in their environment" she explained obviously, but James gave her an even weirder look. She rolled her eyes at him. "I read a lot, okay?" she admitted defensively as they reached the bottom of the hill.

Several applicants were scattered across the field, covered in dirt and panting like wild dogs. Some of them gapped as they casually walked by with their dead pigs.

"H-Hey lady! How'd you get one of those pigs?" one of them hollered.

"I think trying to figure that out is part of the test, don't you think?" she answered coolly.

"Oh c'mon lady, help us out here! Just give us a clue or somethin'!" another shouted.

Ruka sighed. "Look at their snouts" she hinted.

"Snouts? Yeah, they're like giant shields. That's not much of a clue!"

"It's the biggest clue!" she replied sharply. The examinees began to murmur in confusion. If anything, they seemed even more confused than they did before. "Am I the only one who reads around here? Good lord…" she muttered impatiently.

"Hey, you told me their weak spots" James pointed out.

"Yeah, you're lucky we're friends" she replied sarcastically as the second phase site came into view again.

James laughed. "Lucky me, I guess" he said and then looked past her head. "Hey, looks like your brother figured it out" he added.

Ruka followed his line of sight just in time to see Gon smack his fishing rod on a pig's forehead. She smiled proudly. "Well, doesn't look like he's the only one" she added, pointing towards the other applicants who all started to do the same. "Well, we better hurry" she said, managing to hoist the heavy pig on her shoulder. Ruka could already hear a hundred pairs of feet sprinting back towards the site.

* * *

The astonished looks on Menchi and Buhara's face was definitely priceless to say the least. All the applicants managed to make it back with a dead pig in tow and were roasting them over the pits. Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika managed to find a station closest to the two examiners, while James and Ruka found their own a few feet away.

Ruka kept an eye on her boiling pot of water as she began to chop her vegetables. "So, what are you making?" Ruka asked James, who was cooking at the station behind her.

James stirred his ladle and added a little salt to his boiling pot. "I'm thinking pork soup with a side of pigs' feet" he said.

She twirled around. "I was gonna make pork soup!" she whined.

He looked up for the first time since starting his dish. "Well, we can always test to see whose is better" he grinned.

"Not happening" she snapped, turning back to her own pig.

It was James', no contest. It wasn't his fault either, he just had experience under his belt. She wasn't necessarily a bad cook, it was just that he was better. She has to come up with a different dish. With the supplies given, the only other option was…

"Stew it is" she sighed, turning up the heat on her stove.

It would take longer to make but at least the dish would stand out; the other examinees weren't doing anything elaborate. Hell, everyone else just seemed to be roasting their pigs. She threw the half stick of butter they were given into the pot and started to cut the pork into cubes. Ruka glanced over at Gon who—if anything, seemed to having fun roasting his pig over the fire pit.

"So what else doesn't he know?" James asked, appearing next to her.

"Huh?"

"Gon," he said, pointing his chin towards the boy. "What else doesn't he know besides…well, everything?"

"James…" she sighed as she coated her pork cubes in flour and salt. "I promised I'd tell you once I get a chance and right now's really not that chance" she pointed out.

He leaned against the counter and folded his arms over his chest. "Does he know about your boyfriend?"

"My boyfri—?" she stopped when seeing his smug face and then gave him an annoyed look when she realized who he was talking about. "He is _not_ my boyfriend!" she hissed for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"Sure he isn't" he replied sarcastically.

"He's not!" Ruka insisted. "We're just two consenting adults who share a common interest" she explained nonchalantly, tossing all of her ingredients inside the pot.

"And that common interest being…?" he trailed on teasingly, offering her the ladle.

Ruka snatched it annoyingly from his hand. "You know exactly what I'm talking about" she snapped stubbornly. "And for fuck's sake, James, why the hell would I want to tell Gon about any of that?" she said quietly, stirring contents inside her pot.

"Ironic choice of words" he mused.

"You know I have a hot ladle in my hand and you're really tempting me to hit you with it" she retorted, holding the ladle up threateningly.

James laughed and held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just teasing" he said.

"Yeah, well keep it to yourself" Ruka muttered, concentrating on her dish.

Ruka bit her lip and frowned. This test still seemed out of place. Running through an underground tunnel and a muggy swamp was one thing, but cooking? Sure, catching a wild pig wasn't easy but it would've made sense if the phase ended there. Preparing a meal to satisfy the examiners didn't exactly seem worthy of being a phase for the Hunter Exam. What the hell was cooking supposed to teach anyway?

Ruka was coating her pork cubes in flour and salt when applicant 255, Todo, walked up to Menchi and Buhara and unceremoniously dropped his extremely charred pig on the table in front of them.

 _Are people already finishing?_ She thought, looking around at the other applicants. It seemed like Todo was the first.

"Now, eat the pig and send me to the next phase" he said proudly.

"Okay~ time to judge" Menchi dragged in a bored voice.

Buhara began to devour the pig without a moment's hesitation and happily held up the "approval" part of the sign after barely swallowing his first bite. Menchi, however, hardly even looked at the meat and held up the "disapprove" sign.

"The pork's overcooked, it's way too tough. It totally ruins the flavor" she explained.

"Come on, you haven't even tried it!" Todo protested.

"I don't have to, it's obvious!" Menchi snapped back.

Todo groaned and walked back to his station. Barely a minute had gone by when the red-scarfed ninja carried his dish to the examiners.

"There, I hope you enjoy it" he said proudly.

Once again, Buhara held up the 'approval' side of the sign and Menchi held up the 'disapproval' side.

"But why?!" the ninja gasped.

"Charred and dry on the outside, raw on the inside. Your fire was way too hot" she sighed matter-of-factly.

Ruka frowned doubtfully as the ninja sulked back to his station. She looked back at James who had the same uncertain expression on his face. Soon applicant after applicant were bringing their charred pigs to their table and Menchi continued to hold the disapproval sign for each one without as much as looking at the dish.

She was putting in the last ingredients when James walked past her with a pot of boiling soup.

"Finished already?" she asked.

"Yeah, wish me luck" he said, carrying the pot up to their table.

Ruka was putting the last ingredients of her stew and watching James out of the corner of her eye. It must've been the first time Menchi was trying something the applicants made. She didn't hold up the sign right away, instead she was talking with him. Ruka turned her attention away and started to carefully pour the stew into two bowls. She was putting the bowls on the tray when James walked back with his pot, looking downtrodden.

"So?" she asked eagerly.

James set the pot down on the stove. "She didn't like it"

She raised her eyebrows. "What? That's bullshit, she turned down _your_ food?"

"I don't know where I went wrong" he said, frowning as he stirred the contents in his pot and looked them over.

"If she doesn't like your food, then there's no way in hell I have a chance!" she said, putting her hands on her hips and glancing at Menchi.

James looked over at her station. "Let me try some of your stew" he said, walking over. Ruka handed him a spoon and watched as he took a bit from her pot. He was quiet for what felt like an eternity. "It tastes good…"

"Yeah, after she turned down your dish that doesn't exactly make me feel better" she muttered.

"Well, just take it up to her, see what she says" he pushed.

Ruka groaned uncertainly as she took the tray up to Menchi and Buhara. Menchi looked down at the two bowls presented to her.

"What am I looking at?" she asked, with what Ruka assumed to be sarcasm.

"Pork stew" she said, wiping her hands on her sides. Ruka watched anxiously as Menchi took a spoonful of stew and brought it to her mouth, chewing it slightly. At first it looked like she was enjoying it before turning her head and spatting it out.

"Disgusting! The pork is flavorless and the rest is just…watery!" she snapped, holding up the disapproval sign.

Buhara, however, took both bowls and dumped the contents in his mouth. Ruka groaned and walked dejectedly back to her station and James patted her shoulder.

"Now what?" Ruka said in annoyance with her arms crossed. She already used all the pork and there wasn't enough time to get another pig and start cooking it.

"I don't get it, she hasn't passed a single applicant yet" James said, watching Leorio take his cooked to the examiners with a little flag on top.

"Maybe her taste buds are broken" Ruka muttered snidely, watching as Menchi threw Leorio's plate in the air angrily. She was watching Gon take his pig, which was decorated in flowers, up to Menchi and Buhara when she felt someone approach her station.

"Excuse me?"

Ruka turned her head to see an old man with a gray ponytail and mustache with the badge number 191 pinned to his chest.

"I couldn't help but smell your dish from my station" he said, staring interestedly into her pot of stew and rubbing his chin. "Do you mind if I have some?" he asked.

"Er…no, please help yourself" she said, slightly bewildered. They watched him pour himself a bowl and put a spoonful in his mouth. He licked his lips before turning to look at her.

"This is delicious, reminds me of my wife's cooking" he complimented.

"I'm flattered, thank you" she said, rubbing her neck awkwardly. "But you should try his soup, my cooking is nothing compared to his" she replied, jerking her thumb over at James.

James looked at her surprise as the man looked over her shoulder at him. "Is that so?" he asked curiously.

Soon Ruka, James, and the man who they learned was named Bodoro, were sitting around her station with bowls of soup in each of their hands. Bodoro complimented his soup many times, saying his future wife would be very lucky to marry a cook like him. James laughed and his cheeks turned slightly red at the compliment. He continued to talk enthusiastically about his wife and daughter, who was going to be married soon. The conversation eventually veered towards the Hunter Exam.

"I still don't understand this phase" Ruka said as she sat on the counter.

"It's straightforward enough, cook a pig for the examiners, they judge it and we move on" Bodoro said.

"Except that it's not" Ruka disagreed politely. "Taste is subjective. What I think tastes good, doesn't necessarily mean you'll think it tastes good. I don't know, this phase feels problematic and unfair" she explained.

Bodoro and James were quiet.

"That's actually a good point" James realized.

"Yes, I suppose it is" Bodoro agreed, stroking the end of his mustache.

The three of them were quiet until Buhara's loud voice spoke over the crowd. "That was so much food! I couldn't take another bite" he said, patting his overgrown stomach.

"Yeah, I'm pretty stuffed myself" Menchi sighed annoyingly, even though she hardly took a bite of anyone's food. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "So none of you passed to the next phase. Exam's over!" she announced.

"What?!" Ruka cried, jumping off the counter. She pushed past several stunned applicants, James followed behind her. "You're failing all of us?!" she shouted, facing Menchi.

"That's what I said" she replied.

"You can't fail us just because we don't know how you like your pork!" Ruka said and several applicants muttered in agreement.

"You can complain all you like but I already gave you my answer" Menchi told her.

Ruka clenched her fist angrily. "You can't do that!" she snapped, ripping off her apron

"Last time I checked, I'm the examiner and what I said goes, hun" Menchi said.

"You're such a—!"

But what Menchi was, she didn't know because James had clapped a hand over Ruka's mouth as she began to furiously stomp towards the examiner.

"—Beautiful, talented, intelligent person and thank you so much for letting us take this exam" James interrupted, laughing nervously as Menchi glared, almost daring Ruka to finish her sentence. "Excuse us" he said politely, putting a hand on Ruka's shoulder and leading her back to her station. He moved his hand away from her mouth. "You need to calm down" he ordered in a hushed voice, putting both hands on her shoulders and pushed her against the counter.

"Don't tell me to calm down, James!" she replied sharply, shoving his arms away. "You know she's wrong"

"I know, but picking the fight is not going to help the situation!" he whispered harshly.

Ruka turned around and slammed her fist in the counter, leaving a dent in it. "I can't fail. I made a deal!" she said through clenched teeth.

"Deal?" James repeated suspiciously. "What deal?"

But she didn't hear him.

She could still see him smirking behind his desk, that stupid pale skin and sleeked back blonde hair and a cigar hanging from his mouth. _"Hey kid, you really think you could pass the Hunter Exam?" he asked, flicking the ash from his cigar. He wasn't even hiding the smug look on his face. "Alright, I'll make you a deal…"_

Ruka dug her nails into the metal counter, just the look on his face was enough to make her angry. "That smug bastard…"

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